A Study Of The Citizenship Education In The Process Of British Modernization

Citizenship education is born accompanied with the formation of modern nation. The relationship between them seems unquestionable. However, in the process of British modernization, the relationship had been a difficult problem for Britain to hesitate for a long time. In fact, the problems that Britain has encountered are also worth reflecting for those nations with or without a mature system of formal citizenship education. Is there any objective inevitability for the relationship between citizenship education and modern nation? If the answer is"yes"(just as what the citizenship education presents in other premature modern nations), what kind of elements are their relationship based on? What kind of relationship would it be? These problems are the starting point of this dissertation. Chapter 1 establishes a framework for analysing the citizenship education in Britain.Firstly, the nation-building as the angle of view for the study is defined, and the nation-building in the process of modernization is divided into two dimensions: nation-state-building and democracy-state-building. Secondly, the conceptions of citizenship and citizenship education in the process of modernization are explained. Thirdly, the requirements of modernization for citizenship education are explored, meanwhile, the corresponding functions and main approaches to citizenship education are defined. Therefore, an analysis framework has been established, which is based on the theories of modern nation-building and citizenship education.From Chapter 2 to Chapter 5, the course of citizenship education development in Britain is divided into four phases as follows: modern nation's growing up and the trace to the source of citizenship education; citizenship education in the period of imperialism nation; citizenship education in the national adjustment period at initial stage after the Word Warâ…¡; citizenship education in Britain at the turn of the 21st century.Impelled by Renaissance, and based on Reformation and mercantile system, the knock-down monarchism brings the birth of the first modern nation-state, which is Britain. By the end of the 18th century, it eventually became a super nation under the impact of the Industrial Revolution. With the conflict and inosculation of kingship and noble power during the civil war and Glorious Revolution, and the transition from noble oligarchy to democracy, the modern democratic system formed. Promoted by Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, et al, the liberalism gradually became the mainstream political thought in the Occident. Their theories not only expounded the ideas of modern nation-building, but also expressed what the nation wanted the citizens to be. At the initial stage of modernization, citizenship education had two forms as follow: the religious education and charity education which intensified the loyalty to the king and the obedience to the nation for populace; and the education in universities which emphasized particularly on the education about law and right for elite class. In the period of Industrial Revolution, the elitist education became a kind of important integrating power;the citizenship education promoted by the bourgeois and working class became the new impetus of democratization.At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, Britain came into the imperialism phase. The power of democratization within the nation still kept the inertia in the late of Industrial Revolution. With the establishment of national education system and the rise of the new education movement, democratic education was in fashion for a period. The government officials began to realize the importance of citizenship education, but they still kept to their cautious attitude. The theory and practice advanced by some unofficial groups undoubtedly impelled British citizenship education. However, it made for the extremely integrating road leading to the imperialism. The teaching of history and geography was strengthened to cultivate the students'identity to the British Empire. Character education aiming at training the public spirit for the empire appeared. Furthermore, a new form of citizenship education named"boy scout"was created.After the World Warâ…¡, the democratic rights of citizen were greatly enlarged more by the realization of a general election, the decrease of the electorates'age, and the establishment of the national welfare system. The sudden transformation in international situation forced the British Empire went back to the Europe through a rough course. Moreover, the conflict within this multi-culture nation made the integration too long and too hard. The readjustment of the nation-building also led to a confused and groping state in its citizenship education. Although the citizenship education had been raised to the schedule, the government didn't have any clear idea to implement it. The unofficial groups for citizenship education, such as the Politics Association, put more effects into the development of citizenship education.. In 1988, the concept of"active citizenship"was put forward by the New Conservatism government, and henceforth, the status of citizenship education was gradually raised.By the end of 20th century, Britain encountered the phenomenon of people's apathy for the politics. Meanwhile, the state also faced the old problem, which is the integration of the multi-culture society. At the same time, the globalization made a great impulsion on the nation. The New Labor Party also advanced an"active citizenship". But the difference from the New Conservatism Party was that the New Labor Party's"active citizenship"expressed the idea of maintaining the democratic system and integrating the nation-state. Accordingly, an aim at developing the active citizenship was built in citizenship education, and was carried out by combining schools and communities. In the National Curriculum, democracy literacy was cultivated in citizenship education from elementary schools, and the sense of responsibility and participatory ability was trained. A multi-community identity was prompted, trying hard to attain an integrated multi-culture society. Although the national curriculum has been criticized by many people, the British government has been investigating and researching actively, and has been consolidating the different factors. All of things the government has done show the governmental firm belief on citizenship education development.From the perspective of nation-building, we can make the relationship between modern nation and citizenship education clear. There must be a explicit citizenship acting as the medium between them, otherwise citizenship education will be short of a clear purpose and will lost the powerful support given by the nation; modern nation has an absolute superiority in the function of social integration through the implementation of citizenship education; meanwhile, modern nation has a relative advantage in the function of democratization through the implementation of citizenship education.