A Possession Forever: A Guide to Using Commemorative Memorials and Monuments in the Classroom
Martin Kerby , University of Southern Queensland
Margaret Baguley , University of Southern Queensland
Richard Gehrmann , University of Southern Queensland
Alison Bedford , University of Southern Queensland
Samara Rowling , University of Southern Queensland
Nikki Andersen, University of Southern Queensland
Copyright Year:
ISBN 13: 9780648769897
Publisher: University of Southern Queensland
Language: English
Formats Available
Conditions of Use
Attribution-ShareAlike
CC BY-SA
Reviews
The text seems valuable as an introductory work to engage the reader interested in knowing more about how to see and interpret monuments and monument culture. It offers a “taste” rather than a comprehensive view of the subject matter. Questions... read more
The text seems valuable as an introductory work to engage the reader interested in knowing more about how to see and interpret monuments and monument culture. It offers a “taste” rather than a comprehensive view of the subject matter. Questions and exercises are useful pedagogical tools.
The content appears accurate in areas with which I am familiar. The embedded materials are well-vetted for accuracy and expertise. Sections for further reading refer to seminal and staple works in the field. Most are in a rather traditional vein appropriate to a general rather than specialized audience, likely reflecting the emphasis on the Australian school curriculum.
The book seems quite basic and so much will remain relevant. It can easily be revised if sections become obsolete or other events prompt further reflection and updating of examples. The use of video clips and content not directly on the site broadens appeal and expertise, but some links are already outdated. For example, at least one video in the Holocaust section is no longer available. Attention is given to more contemporary perspectives and diversity in discussions of monuments, but overall the approach is somewhat dated and centered on traditional gendered and “mainstream” or dominant approaches.
The text is clearly written and relatively free of jargon. It employs pedagogical jargon in the final section, but as that is directed to teachers, it appears appropriate. The text is accessible and perhaps even pitched a bit “low” for an audience of educators.
The purpose and aim of each chapter are clearly outlined, and the examples are abundant. Some of the material appears repetitive (for example, the videos on the Monument to the Murdered Jews in Berlin used in separate chapters overlap in content and feel). The two listings of symbolism and symbolic meanings are not consistent, perhaps reflecting the differing national perspectives of the authors’ work, but this does seem a bit confusing and imprecise. A clearer, consistent listing of symbols and their meanings would be helpful to those seeking to use the book for practical work. From the perspective of the historian, some rationale or discussion of the method of choosing the monuments used as examples might have enhanced the presentation.
The text is well-designed to be mined selectively for different purposes or uses. The more general sections at the beginning are readily translatable in an international context. The curriculum sections have narrower appeal.
The flow of the text from international to national and local is clear. The text transitions from a broad overview to specific means of interpretation and then to local application.
The interface is clear. Navigation was smooth. Clarity of images and embedded materials was excellent.
The language of the text appears free of grammatical errors.
The text uses inclusive examples and acknowledges the indigenous peoples of Australia. The historiography is less inclusive. The authors discuss aspects of monuments and cultural diversity (for example the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Holocaust Memorial), but the text heavily favors traditional white Anglo-Saxon and male monuments and narratives. The text promises an emphasis on social justice, but the activist approach does not seem to follow through in the chapters.
There are sections that are useful to mine. The literature cited is quite helpful. The book overall seems most appropriate for educators in Australian middle and high schools.
The text provides a solid overview on the discussion of monuments and memorials in the wider contemporary Anglo-American context, but is neither providing a robust history of monuments and memorials nor discussing different approaches to monuments... read more
The text provides a solid overview on the discussion of monuments and memorials in the wider contemporary Anglo-American context, but is neither providing a robust history of monuments and memorials nor discussing different approaches to monuments and memorials in other cultures. While it is absolutely ok, to focus a textbook on one specific culture of monuments and memorials, it would have been helpful if this limitation would be already reflected in the title of the textbook, in particular as the two of the three main sections of the book are narrowed down even farther by focusing on monuments and memorials in Australia.
There is no effective index and the reviewer is at least surprised that there is a whole textbook on memorials and monuments in which the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) is hardly been mentioned.
The content is accurate, seems to be error-free and unbiased. Of course, whenever discussing the topic of monuments and memorials and especially their societal function, there is a perspective of the author when they are discussing this societal function. Nevertheless as the book textbook includes not only the discussion on monuments and memorials but also on counter memorials and monuments, this perspective is presented in a multifaceted way.
With monuments and memorials being designed to be built for ever, the examples in the textbook are kind of timeless and will remain relevant for the discussion for the foreseeable future. If needed, additional examples of monuments and memorials can easily be added at any time to keep the textbook current. As the text is directly written to be used in the Australian classroom, there is a certain issue of the text becoming outdated with the next change of the curriculum, but as the topics discussed are highly relevant outside this curriculum too, the close connection to the curriculum is no issue in itself. What seems to be more problematic in terms of information becoming outdated is the highly detailed hands-on section dedicated to the use of certain web-pages and internet based data-bases. As soon as these web-pages or data-bases might change their front-end / user-interface, these sections of the book will become useless unless immediately updated.
The text of the book is written in language and style that is appropriate for the subject
The text is consistent in terminology and use of intellectual and administrative frameworks
The textbook is divided in three main sections that are each divided into several logical organized sub-sections. Due to the focus of section B and C on a Australian perspective and curriculum, this division allows for readers to whom the Australian context is not relevant, to limit readings, assignments etc. just to section A.
The structure of the textbook is logical beginning with a general theoretical overview and then moving forward via the Australian example to the specific application of monuments and memorials in the classroom.
The reviewer did not experience any major interface issues while accessing the textbook on a variety of platforms and browsers.
As far as the reviewer as a non-native English speaker can identify, there are no major issues with language, style, grammar etc.
The text has a high cultural relevance as the issue of commemorative memorials and monuments is a discussion at the center of cultural sensitivity. In particular it needs to be highlighted that the book is not limiting itself to the European-Australian perspective but argues in particular that Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders’ perspectives have been subject to a ‘cult of disremembering’ for way too long. Consequently, the book aims to change this situation by integrating their unique perspectives into the discussion on memorials and monuments.
Altogether 'A Possession Forever' is a most useable textbook for whatsoever class that deal with wartime memorials etc. regardless if in the Australian context or wherever else. Nevertheless, with the book being written so closely to the Australian curriculum, the utility of the book outside Australia will be much more limited than within Australia. As this is an Open Textbook it might be probably recommended to use this textbook outside the Australian context not as a sole textbook for a class but as an additional textbook.
Table of Contents
- I. Part A
- 1. Introduction to Memorials and Monuments
- 2. The Visual Language of Memorials and Monuments
- II. Part B
- 3. War Memorials in the Australian Commemorative Landscape
- 4. Counter Memorials and Monuments
- 5. Commemorating Genocide Holocaust Memorials in Australia and Overseas
- III. Part C
- 6. An Education in Commemoration: The Australian Curriculum, Commemoration and Memorials
- 7. Guide to Using Memorials and Monuments as a Resource in the Classroom
Ancillary Material
Submit ancillary resourceAbout the Book
This open textbook will guide educators and students through the process of using local monuments and memorials to contextualise, interrogate and extend their knowledge of historical events at a national and international level. Students will learn how to use local history to create an organic patchwork of local stories, interviews, photographs and artefacts contributed by, and for, the community and contextualised nationally and internationally. Through this process they will assume the role of historians rather than passive consumers of dominant ideologies and understand how historical events have shaped diverse views, including their own, of issues such as social justice, democracy, human rights and citizenship.
About the Contributors
Authors
Martin Kerby (PhD) is an Associate Professor in Curriculum and Pedagogy at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia with a specialisation in History. His research interests focus on biography, historical inquiry and artistic and cultural responses to conflict. Dr Kerby holds two doctorates in the field of biography. He has received numerous research awards including several state and national ANZAC Centenary grants (2014, 2015, 2017). Dr Kerby was a 2018 Q ANZAC 100 Fellow at the State Library of Queensland with his project titled ‘A War Imagined: Queenslanders and the Great War’. These competitive fellowships were awarded for projects that focus on new insights into the Queensland experience of WW1 and its aftermath. He was recently awarded a place on the national and highly-regarded 2020 Gandel Holocaust Studies Program for Australian Educators (currently delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Dr Kerby has published extensively including The Palgrave Handbook of Artistic and Cultural Responses to War since 1914 (Kerby, Baguley & McDonald, 2009, Palgrave Macmillan). During 2020 Dr Kerby was one of a team awarded a USQ Learning and Teaching Open Educational Practice (OEP) Grant for the project titled ‘Exploring Social Justice, Democracy, Human Rights and Citizenship: Engaging Tertiary Students Through an Open History Textbook Initiative’. He is also the Chief Investigator on a USQ Capacity Building Research Grant titled ‘Counter Memorials/Monuments and the Australian Commemorative Landscape’. He is also currently the Chief Editor of Australian Art Education and has published eight issues under his leadership.
Email: Martin.Kerby@usq.edu.au ORCID: 0000-0003-4073-2559
Margaret Baguley (PhD) is a Professor in Arts Education, Curriculum and Pedagogy at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia with a specialisation in visual arts. She has received numerous awards recognising the high quality of her teaching and research. She is currently the Associate Dean (Research) for the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts. Her research interests encompass the arts, arts education, leadership, group dynamics, creative collaboration and historical commemoration. She has an extensive number of publications including The Palgrave Handbook of Global Arts Education (Barton & Baguley, 2017, Palgrave Macmillan) and The Palgrave Handbook of Artistic and Cultural Responses to War since 1914 (Kerby, Baguley & McDonald, 2009, Palgrave Macmillan). Dr Baguley is also a practising artist with 10 solo exhibitions and 47 group exhibitions – 40 of these invitational. Her most recent group exhibition received Australia Council for the Arts funding and she has been a recipient of grants from the Ian Potter Foundation, Craft Queensland, Arts Queensland and the Australia Council for the Arts. During 2020 Dr Baguley was one of a team awarded a USQ Learning and Teaching Open Educational Practice (OEP) Grant for the project titled ‘Exploring Social Justice, Democracy, Human Rights and Citizenship: Engaging Tertiary Students Through an Open History Textbook Initiative’. She is also a team member and mentor on a USQ Capacity Building Research Grant titled ‘Counter Memorials/Monuments and the Australian Commemorative Landscape’. She recent co-edited a special theme journal issue on the inclusion of the arts as a social justice imperative in the Australian Curriculum for The Australian Educational Researcher. Dr Baguley was co-awarded a Princeton University Library Research Grant (2020) with Dr Kerby to undertake research on the relationship between the artist and author of the Mary Poppins series of books. Dr Baguley is currently elected Vice-President of Art Education Australia (AEA), the national peak body for visual arts education.
Email: Margaret.Baguley@usq.edu.au ORCID: 0000-0003-0098-6378
Richard Gehrmann is a Senior Lecturer (International Studies) teaching international relations at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. Richard’s recent research addresses contemporary war and society, and Australians in colonial India. Richard is a member of the Australian Army Reserve, and his military service included deployments to Iraq from 2006-2007 and Afghanistan from 2008-2009. One focus of his research and publications is the way imagined and fictionalised experiences of war differ from the lived experience of war. His related publications include Communication, Interpreting and Language in Wartime: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives (with Amanda Laugesen, 2020, Palgrave Macmillan) and Memory and the Wars on Terror: Australian and British Perspectives (with Jessica Gildersleeve, 2017, Palgrave Macmillan). His work on war and society has been published in a range of journals including Peace Review, Popular Entertainment Studies, Australian Journal of Jewish Studies and in the books Rendering the Unspeakable Past: Legacies of Violence in Modern Australia (2016, Berghahn), Trauma and Public Memory (2015, Palgrave Macmillan), and Fashion and War in Popular Culture (2014, Intellect). A graduate of the University of Cambridge, he also holds Masters degrees in Defence Studies (University of New England), Education (University of Southern Queensland) and Arts (Deakin University). His ongoing research includes a project examining the way Australians have written about and remembered the experience of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Email: Richard.Gehrmann@usq.edu.au ORCID: 0000-0003-0287-5532
Alison Bedford (PhD) is a sessional lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia, with a specialisation in History curriculum and pedagogy, and education research. Her own research interests include the social function of fiction, science fiction, and history pedagogy. She is the Book Reviews Editor for the Australasian Journal of Victorian Studies. Dr Bedford’s publications are wide-ranging. She has published the book In Frankenstein’s Wake: Mary Shelley, Morality and Science Fiction (2021, McFarland), as well as a number of textbooks for both tertiary and secondary students, most notably Teaching Secondary History (Sharp, Dallimore, Bedford, Kerby, Goulding, Heath, Von Guttner, & Zamati, 2021, Cambridge University Press) and Modern History Units 1-4 (Bedford, Martens, & Slavin, 2019, Cambridge University Press) as a part of the Cambridge Checkpoints QCE series. She has also recently co-edited Unlocking Social Theory With Popular Culture with Dr Naomi Barnes (Queensland University of Technology). Dr Bedford’s work on History pedagogy has been published in a number of journals, including Historical Encounters and Agora. Dr Bedford is also a practicing secondary History and English Literature teacher with more than 15 years’ experience. She was awarded a fellowship in Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia’s international Global Action Research Collaborative as a member of the 2020/21 cohort to continue her research into innovative inquiry pedagogies for the teaching of history.
Email: Alison.Bedford@usq.edu.au ORCID: 0000-0001-6708-9896
Editors
Samara Rowling is a librarian and academic editor, specialising in open textbook production. She is a confirmed PhD candidate in the School of Creative Arts (Editing and Publishing) at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia, researching the question ‘How can we build sustainable open textbook publishing programs at Australian universities?’ (expected completion date August 2025).
Email: Samara.Rowling@usq.edu.au ORCID: 0000-0003-4405-7941
Nikki Andersen is the Open Education Content Librarian at the University of Southern Queensland. In this role she supports open educational practices, including the development of open textbooks using the Pressbooks open publishing platform. She also has previous experience as a Copyright Officer, and a Diversity and Inclusion Officer. She is interested in the relationship between open educational practice, social justice and student success.
Email: Nikki.Andersen@usq.edu.au ORCID: 0000-0002-7682-6592