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This article discusses the relationship between Europe and ancient Greece as narrated (or ignored) in a range of European history textbooks. It unravels the threads the narrative has followed since the eighteenth century, investigating the choices made in construing the narrative taught today. Which meanings were inherent in the terms "east" and "west" before they acquired the ideological coloring associating "east" with "barbarians" and "west" with the civilized world and "Europe"? The article opens up a new perspective on a complex past that was lost from view when perceptions of the ancient Greeks as guarantors of European values became entwined with the invention of the nation state.

J. Tollebeek, Fredericq en zonen. Een antropologie van de moderne geschiedwetenschap The Anthropology of Modern Historiography?Jo Tollebeek's book about the Belgian historian Paul Fredericq is meant to be an example of 'the anthropology of modern professional history'. The author believes that this anthropology goes beyond older genres. The traditional historiography focused too heavily on the intellectual content of history writing, whereas the sociology of knowledge only looked at the infrastructure of history as a profession. The post-modern deconstruction of the political role of history writing has become rather reductionistic. The anthropological gaze has to combine all of these points of view and then try to embed them in background information. Does Tollebeek succeed in doing this? We certainly get a rich picture of content, social context and professional practice. The thrills of archival research, the routine of day-to-day academic life, and the (management of) emotional ties within the community of scholars in particular, all come alive. It comes at a price, though. The precision and specificity of micro-history make comparisons within larger frameworks and developments difficult. This macro level makes more selection and simplification inevitable.

Calls attention to efforts made by the Council of Europe to promote the Guiding Principles on internally displaced persons (IDPs), including the adoption of various recommendations/resolutions on such things as the education of IDPs in European countries. It is noted that all Council of Europe member states have consented to the European Convention on Human Rights as well as other Council of Europe instruments, including the under-used protection mechanism offered by the European Social Charter. The continuing gap between legislation & practice is discussed. Adapted from the source document.

Ed Jonker, Treading carefully. Writing official history with an uneasy conscience The recent debate on cultural and political identity has placed historians in an awkward position. On the one hand they are aware that the track record of official histories, expressed in historical canons, is upsetting. Historical canons, especially nationalist icones, have obviously done a lot of damage. On the otherhand, many historians understand the current need for historical identity. Confronted with this dilemma they try to solve it by setting themselves standards for writing decent canons. Ideally, these combine critical enquiry, political utility and moral principles. How have Dutch historians fared in trying to square this circle? A first inspection of recently published literature on Dutch identity yields mixed results. This article is part of the forum 'Debat over de zin of onzin van een nationale canon'.

Many refugees experience great difficulty finding employment. When they do find work, it is often well below their capacity. Doctors, lawyer & teachers work as cleaners, taxi drivers or sales assistants. How can refugees find suitable jobs & how can employers benefit more from refugees' skills? Adapted from the source document.