Education and growth of modern nationalism.
Introduction
Education is played a defined role for growth of modern nationalism. Nazism imparted education to control the young people and develop them to the glory of Germany. The system of education cultivates the characteristic of royal citizen in children. Napoleon was an authoritarian leader, he believed in total control of education system by the central government. He thinks education was a tool to control mass. School education system serve the interest of powerful leader or dominant class. Western education system promotes development to fulfil the goals and objective of the colonial structure in colonial regime. The intended curriculum hurt the intellectual development of the children of colonial countries. But the situation was changed after the fall of colonial state. The emerging nation state restructured their curriculum to serve the interests of their own country. Let us discuss in brief.
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| Education and Nationalism |
1. National ideology promoted by victorious past.
Education system promote national ideology by influencing the children to the victorious past of the community. Teaching history is the method in which a child learn their past and accumulated knowledge from textbook. The dominant section of the society control the education and use it, as a tool to control over mass. Education helps the child learn from the past and understand the present. That dominant section eliminates the part of curriculum which harm their interest. Specific topic are selected to address the specific section of population.
The life and work of the past political leaders impact on the mind of children and youngs. The leaders are their ideal in life. The education list appropriately places the image of the past leaders in the curriculum. Education plays a major role in nation building of every state. For example, M. K. Gandhi, played a defined role to influence young and place the nation in the world.
2. Education: National identity and citizenship.
Education builds national identity and citizenship among the students. The aim of the educational system to fulfil the add requirement of nation state. National identity and citizenship are essential for developing nation state. Education build character devoted to their nation. A bridge region proud for their nation and maintain the glory of the past.
i) Education developes a strong sense of national pride among citizens.
It is clear from above that education target to enhance national goal. In this path, one of the essential component is national pride. Education promotes national pride among youth
ii) Education: Right values and norms.
Education reproduce right value and norm among citizen. The right value and norms makes the young to adjust with national culture. It motivates the people to their own nation. Student incorporates those norm end values in their school and serve the nation in every odd. The school is the most vital institution in spread the national culture over the nation. The national educationalist work over the curriculum to engage every child in the school to a proper guideline and promote right values and norms among them.
3. Construction of self in relation to nation.
Construction of self is essential of every citizen in a country. Selfhood and ego cannot cross the boundary of the spirit of nation is important. The question arrive how the ‘selfhood’ cross the boundary? Theoretically, if a citizen constructs his ego over the national thought, then the situation is worth for the nation state. Now what that means, it means the nation is not only marking of boundary, it has a spirit. If the spirit it falls then the nation is not survive. The dictation of education is construct to maintain the Young’s to control their ego and self food under the spirit of the nation. For example, in USSR, maintain common curriculum to promote their national identity. That makes them associated with their national and political culture.
It has some backdraws, The minototy culture and right are sometimes sacrificed to maintain the national honour. As we know, education dominated by particular powerhouse of the nation. Therefore, They promote cultural homogeneity among the society. The minority culture is not place in textbook in right manner. The culture is lost among the other are dominant culture.
4. Education legitimizes authority and domination of nation state.
Education controlled by the dominant section of society. The dominant power, such as, State exercise their power by some medium. The medium, maybe school, other educational institution or NGOs. They legitimize their domination through the institution in society. The state does not directly control the mind of people. They use some tools to conduct their work. On the other hand, if the domination is not legitimated, the image of the nation state is affected in society. The state has many platform to authenticates the legitimacy, education is the best of them. For example, independent states from colonial regime are legitimated they are national pride among their citizens first stop they promote the glory of freedom struggle and sustain ideology of freedom fighter among the young.
Conclusion.
Sociologists are always concerning about the role of education in the study of sociology of education. Nationalism and education are correlated. In the growth of modern nationalism, education is the pathfinding tool and it considered all the concept of social structure to relate with nation building. Every country has their own culture and ethos. Education are programmed to fulfil the aspirations of young as well as the nation.
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