how is the passion for the past transmitted?
At 16, Céleste has a passion for history. A passion that was built by successive triggers. At 10 years old, there was the first shock of a visit to Oradour-sur-Glane (Haute-Vienne): “It was poignant,” she remembers. At 12, she walked around the September 11 memorial in New York: “I stayed there for three hours, taking photos of everything. »
A year later, she met one of these life-changing teachers: “She told lots of anecdotes. To work on the French Revolution, each student in the class played a character. I was Camille Desmoulins. » Today, the high school student devours history through podcasts, social networks or readings.
New stories
Not all young people are as keen as Céleste, but the story interests the same 75% of them. This is what emerges from an Ifop survey from May 2024 for the History & Public Life Observatory co-created by the Fondation Napoléon.
A happy surprise for the institution which works to disseminate historical knowledge of the 19th century: “a declinist discourse is circulating according to which young people show less appetite and knowledge of history”, confides François Houdecek, head of special projects at the foundation.
This fear is based on the very real feedback from the field. Associations of enthusiasts are seeing their number of members shrink. “Hair is becoming more and more gray during conferences, associations are slowly dying, there is real disaffection on this side,” notes François Houdecek. In reality, budding historians are elsewhere…
The first seeds are often sown in childhood. Very early on, families immerse the youngest in the historical cauldron through visits or family stories. As such, grandparents frequently take on the role of storyteller.
Bernard Côme, 75 years old, is passionate about historical reconstructions and genealogy. He says he is lucky to have curious grandchildren: “Children love stories and answering their questions is a lot of fun for me. During a trip to Venice, they saw a painting depicting Jonah being swallowed by a large fish; they listened to the explanations with great interest. Likewise when I spoke to them about their great-great-grandfather who fought in the 1914-1918 war. Or when they learned that neither running water nor electricity existed in the past. »
Today’s ancestors are more involved in the game than in the past: “The generations of my parents and grandparents experienced periods of deprivation and war and they did not want to bring up all these memories. They looked towards the future, which they hoped would be brighter. We talk about the family saga much more easily than fifty years ago. »
Having a grandfather who experienced war or parents born in Africa before independence proves decisive in inoculating the virus of history. Virginie, 23 years old, a fairly good student otherwise, collected the worst grades in her class in this subject: “I had the same teacher for all four years of college and he recited his lesson in a masterly, not colorful enough manner,” she regrets.
But her disinterest firstly has its roots in the absence of family transmission: “If my mother had told me the history of her country, Colombia, I would have been more interested in things related to the past. »
Listening to your grandfather’s stories is one thing, learning his history lessons at school is another. A teacher in Aveyron, Ludivine L. makes this observation: “When they arrive in sixth grade, 90% of students do not want to hear about studying history and remembering dates. More and more curious, they tolerate less and less the pressure to learn. »
Then, during the middle school years, a fabulous conversion occurs: adolescents develop a taste for the subject. “Often, students are passionate because they have passionate teachers,” notes teacher Jean-Charles Brulé. My colleagues in history and geography are “sharp” and particularly enthusiastic. »
The students confirm it: behind their interest there is always one or more outstanding teachers. “I’ve only had great teachers in this subject,” enthuses Raphaël, 16, a final year student. They are there to talk about a subject they love. Of all teachers, history teachers are the most passionate. »
And the passion is contagious. The teachers go out of their way to transmit it: “When I start a session on Greco-Roman mythology, I introduce the lesson with a screenshot of video games: you have to go through that to attract their attention,” emphasizes Ludivine.
A teacher in a sensitive neighborhood, Perrine uses another form of game: “To explain feudalism in fifth grade, I organize tribute ceremonies between vassal and overlord. They included a kiss on the mouth which sealed the oath of dubbing. The volunteers pretend, it makes them laugh. At least they won’t forget it! »
Understanding rather than learning
However, everything is not idyllic. The fifth grade program covering the Middle Ages has no shortage of explosive subjects.
A teacher in the Paris region in a so-called “difficult” neighborhood, Marie dreads certain periods: “My students ask me why we give more hours to Christianity than to Islam? They dispute the dates I put forward about Mohammed. I had to spend forty-five minutes explaining to them why I didn’t capitalize the “i” in Islam (the lowercase designating the religion, in relation to Islam, Islamic civilization, Editor’s note) ! »
She laments: “Everything I tell them is completely new to them, except for those who come from more privileged social categories or who have traveled or visited museums. »
Video games, series, social networks offer a second chance to dive into the magic cauldron. The YouTuber Sur le champ has witnessed a recent rise in the discipline that he popularizes: “Research has greatly enriched our knowledge of lifestyles, to explain why we eat this, why the border is drawn in such a way , etc. Which opened a huge window. We laugh a little to know that a regiment crossed the river at 11 a.m. What interests us today is the way in which rifles are designed or the methods of recruiting troops. In addition to its ability to explain, history has become a formidable reservoir of alternative worlds: we can better imagine how people lived in a particular era, which is very attractive. This coincides with the current great return of fantasy and science fiction in our popular culture. »
Now the drape of a dress becomes an entry point into the story. Even Virginie dissects the outfits and hairstyles of characters in historical series. Especially since the priority is no longer pure knowledge. “Everyone has a smartphone in their pocket: when you’re looking for the date of a battle or the accession of a Roman emperor, it’s quicker to ask Saint Google than to remember it,” jokes François Houdecek .
Thus, all paths can lead to history, as long as a ferryman or a “gateway” meets the very real curiosity of today’s adolescents.
Are students still interested in history?
- No. 2. History is spontaneously cited by 13% of students as their favorite subject, behind mathematics (19%).
- 75%. of 15-24 year olds say they like history.
- 59%. of young people prefer contemporary history (from 1789 to today), with the Second World War largely at the top of their favorite periods – 15% mention the Middle Ages, and 9% Antiquity.
Source: Ifop/Observatory of History & Public Life survey, May 2024.