Cosmopolitanism in Civic Education: Exploring Cross-National Trends, 1970-2008

Abstract

This study examines how far education systems worldwide have progressed from depicting society as rooted in a homogenous, bounded nation-state towards cosmopolitan emphases on a common humanity and social diversity. The research uses a unique longitudinal and cross-national primary source of data – high school civics, history, and social studies textbooks published since 1970. Textbooks are central to socializing particular identities because they define legitimate knowledge and desirable social attributes, and also communicate privileged concepts of national or global citizenship. In this way, they can exacerbate national and sub-national ethnic and cultural conflicts, or help to support the development of cosmopolitan identities. I find a broad increase in cosmopolitan emphases of universalism and diversity in civic education curricula in much of the world. However, even within cosmopolitan theories there are divergent views on the potential implications of a more universal and diverse notion of citizenship for society.