Ch 4 From History to Histories

 Chapter 4

From History to Histories

The past can influence today but should not be the only factor in how we live and communicate. Politics and family life experiences help to shape the past and what is brought to the present. Many books are written about history, but we must remember that not all historical information is accurate, and some of the information could be skewed by a different perception.  Furthermore, not all history is in books or written down, so even though it shaped that person, it is not documented.

Another way history is shaped is altered history, which is a beast. Individuals don't realize how much history books in schools have been altered to benefit a certain viewpoint. In my freshman year of college, I learned the truth about Christopher Columbus coming to the Americas and all of the bad he did. But our textbooks say and show us otherwise. This is not just happening in the United States but also in many other countries. 

The last history I wanted to touch on is family history. You can choose many things in life, but you cannot choose your family. Knowing your family history is important, but not meant for you to live in the past because of it. Family history is undocumented and spoken more often, so it can be altered or changed more easily. When this happens, it is called absent history. Remember the telephone game? Like the telephone game, generations can alter as it is told. Putting all the stock into this one time in the past may not be the best thing.   

        
        Flint, V. I. (2024, March 5). Christopher Columbus | Biography, Nationality, Voyages, Ships, Route, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Christopher-Columbus
Martin, J. N., & Nakayama, T. K. (2022). Intercultural Communication in Contexts (8th ed.).

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