Het Verhaal van Vlaanderen, De Canon van Vlaanderen en De Canon van Nederland. Een onderzoek naar de verhouding tussen mediaverschillen, geschiedschrijving en canonisering.

Details

Supervisors

Sergier, Matthieu

Faculty

Faculté de philosophie, arts et lettres

Degree label

Master [120] en communication multilingue, à finalité spécialisée: langues des affaires

Abstract

enThis thesis examines the influence of media differences on historiography and canonisation through a comparative analysis of Het Verhaal van Vlaanderen, the Canon van Vlaanderen and the Canon van Nederland. Although these three projects share the objective of making historical knowledge accessible to a broad audience, they differ in their media, target audiences and institutional contexts. The study combines an institutional and policy analysis, an analysis of target audiences, and a comparative content analysis of both the printed and digital versions of the three projects. The comparison between Het Verhaal van Vlaanderen and the Canon van Vlaanderen shows that their different media contribute significantly to their distinct approaches to history. Het Verhaal van Vlaanderen, which originated from a television series, uses a continuous narrative and relies more heavily on action, emotion and visual storytelling. The Canon van Vlaanderen, by contrast, is structured around separate historical “windows” and provides more detailed coverage of subjects such as art, science, religion, language and trade. The analysis also indicates that the commissioning context and intended audience influence the selection and presentation of historical content. The comparison of the Canon van Vlaanderen and the Canon van Nederland further demonstrates how target audiences shape the structure and accessibility of historical information. While the Flemish canon provides considerably more detail, the Dutch canon is more concise, structured and accessible, reflecting its stronger focus on educational use. The digital versions of both canons also demonstrate several advantages of online platforms, including multilingual content, educational resources and greater interactivity. Overall, the research shows that historical canons and popular historical narratives are not neutral representations of the past. The medium, institutional context and intended audience all play an important role in determining which aspects of history are selected, emphasised and communicated to the public.