Portraying nation-states and the international community: Shaping or reforming citizenship education? A cross-national study (1933–1969)

This article examines how education has been used as a tool for social cohesion during periods of national identity transformation and the conceptualization of international identity. It investigates the evolution of educational discourses and policies aimed at nation-building, patriotism, and peace education for international understanding, focusing on their translation into reforms over time. Drawing on government reports on educational reforms published in the International Yearbook of Education by the International Bureau of Education (1933–1969), the study reveals a post-World War II rise in peace education policies accompanied by a decline in nation-building policies. However, while peace education policies were often normative and lacked concrete structural reforms, nation-building policies frequently translated into substantial educational reforms.