Academic/General Training Module by Adam Smith First Published in 2015

History Provides Identity 
History also helps provide identity, and this is unquestionably one of the reasons all 
modern nations encourage its teaching in some form. Historical data include evidence 
about how families, groups, institutions and whole countries were formed and about 
how they have evolved while retaining cohesion. For many Americans, studying the 
history of one's own family is the most obvious use of history, for it provides facts 
about genealogy and (at a slightly more complex level) a basis for understanding how 
the family has interacted with larger historical change. Family identity is established 
and confirmed. Many institutions, businesses, communities, and social units, such as 
ethnic groups in the United States, use history for similar identity purposes. Merely 
defining the group in the present pales against the possibility of forming an identity 
based on a rich past. And of course nations use identity history as well—and 
sometimes abuse it. Histories that tell the national story, emphasizing distinctive 
features of the national experience, are meant to drive home an understanding of 
national values and a commitment to national loyalty. 
 
 

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 IELTS
 JOURNAL 
 
142 
Studying History Is Essential for Good Citizenship 
A study of history is essential for good citizenship. This is the most common 
justification for the place of history in school curricula. Sometimes advocates of 
citizenship history hope merely to promote national identity and loyalty through a 
history spiced by vivid stories and lessons in individual success and morality. But the 
importance of history for citizenship goes beyond this narrow goal and can even 
challenge it at some points. 
History that lays the foundation for genuine citizenship returns, in one sense, to the 
essential uses of the study of the past. History provides data about the emergence of 
national institutions, problems, and values—it's the only significant storehouse of such 
data available. It offers evidence also about how nations have interacted with other 
societies, providing international and comparative perspectives essential for 
responsible citizenship. Further, studying history helps us understand how recent, 
current, and prospective changes that affect the lives of citizens are emerging or may 
emerge and what causes are involved. More important, studying history encourages 
habits of mind that are vital for responsible public behavior, whether as a national or 
community leader, an informed voter, a petitioner, or a simple observer.