Holocaust Education in the Age of Participatory Culture

Abstract

Thesis. The study is based on the thesis that Holocaust education in the age of participatory culture is undergoing a profound transformation with both positive and negative impacts. The paper proposes a trauma-informed approach as a framework enabling the responsible mediation of the Holocaust within the environment of participatory culture.      Methods. The research is grounded in an interdisciplinary qualitative approach that combines theoretical analysis of the concepts of cultural memory, trauma and participatory culture; content and discourse analysis of selected digital educational platforms and participatory formats; comparative analysis of traditional and digital forms of Holocaust education; and ethical reflection based on trauma-informed principles.      Results. Participatory culture strengthens learners’ active engagement, identification and personal connection with the historical subject, supports the development of media literacy and critical thinking. However, without clear ethical and pedagogical frameworks, participatory culture may undermine the dignity of Holocaust memory (possibility for its commercial exploitation, trivialisation or denial, appropriation of trauma etc.).       Conclusion. Holocaust education within the conditions of participatory culture represents an irreversible paradigmatic shift that requires new ethical, pedagogical and methodological grounding. The research confirms that a trauma-informed approach, combined with reflection on the media structures of participation, resembles a key prerequisite for the dignified and meaningful mediation of Holocaust memory. Such an approach enables to protect learners from secondary retraumatisation and preserve the ethical integrity of victims’ memory.