Beyond the Classroom: How History Shapes Identity and Politics on the Far Right

Professor Jan Frode Hatlen, NTNU - The Norwegian University of Science and Technology 

Abstract

This seminar explores how historical thinking moves beyond formal education to influence identity and political discourse on the far right. Drawing on interviews with Reform UK politicians, Hatlen examines the paradox between a strong orientation toward the past and limited engagement with disciplinary historical literacy. Using frameworks from German history didactics and Anglo-American approaches to historical literacy, he argues that political uses of history reflect an alternative historical rationality rather than a mere knowledge deficit. By connecting theories of historical consciousness with empirical insights from political practice, he highlights implications for education research: how disciplinary knowledge matters in democratic societies and why grasping history’s role in shaping identity is essential beyond the classroom.

Bio

Jan Frode Hatlen is Professor of History at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), where he has extensive experience in teacher education and curriculum development. His work focuses on history education, historical culture, and how societies mobilise the past in identity and politics. He is the author of The Historian’s Code (2020), a study of historical understanding and disciplinary literacy, and co‑editor of Honour and Shame in Western History (Routledge, 2023). Hatlen is recognised as an Excellent Teaching Practitioner and has led initiatives to strengthen historical thinking and democratic education in teacher training programmes. His current research examines how the populist and far right strategically deploy historical narratives to shape identity and moral frameworks in public discourse—bridging perspectives from education with political analysis. He is currently an Academic Visitor in the School of Education at Durham University.

Joining Online
This event will be accessible via Microsoft Teams. If you would like to attend online, please contact ed.research@durham.ac.uk to request the Teams link.