Quote Originally Posted by Dorcus View Post
Nothing absolutist about it in the slightest. It's down to the practicalities of living in a finite space. I'm sure the book you alluded to is very interesting as maybe a million others probably are on a million other chronological experiences but where does the point begin and end where something had to be included and something excluded from historical teaching?

I agree with you about the disgusting nature of British (or any other for that matter) nationalism and the Industrial Revolution was an awful indictment on how sentient beings were cruelly exploited for personal gain. However, it was a crucial aspect in explaining the development of the modern world so is of crucial value in any understanding of History.
I think the point COULD be geographical. It IS very important to understand one's own history and , putting a globalist view to one side for a moment, we have only shared the last thousand or so years with England and for a number those centuries the English were an invading, occupying force. Things existed before which a majority of Welsh people are probably unaware of. These things are important in understanding our current cultural and political position within the union. Even the word "union" is a little misleading considering we were absorbed by the kingdom of England.

To say that understanding these aspects of our countries history would be comparable to learning about the history of Tonga or Myanmar in terms of its usefulness is to ignore the fact that we have our own history in Wales. That to me seems a little bit strange.

The broadness and intricacies of studying the events that shaped the modern, globalised world is way beyond your average teens ability to comprehend imo. I think it generally paints "the Brits" as the heroes of the story too. I would have found a comprehensive teaching of our countries' history much more relatable and practical. How industrialisation affected south wales. How we became a part of the UK. How our language came into decline. We have an abundance of history of our own.