This review has been accessed  times since July 12, 2001
Kennedy, Kerry (Editor). (1997). Citizenship Education
and the Modern State. London: Falmer Press.
192 pp.
$79.95 (cloth) ISBN 0750707046 (Cloth)
$27.95 (paper) ISBN 0750706473 (Paper)
Reviewed by Leslie J. Limage
UNESCO, Paris
July 13, 2001
This volume follows in the tradition of the Anglo-Saxon
literature on citizenship education. The editor, Kerry J.
Kennedy, traces the specifics of the Australian case while
the co-authors provide the other case studies and
theoretical perspectives. There is an effort to compare
various issues across the selected group of countries with
thoughtful historical and contextual references. The volume
begins with a section entitled “Frameworks for
Citizenship Education” that contextualizes the issues
from alternative but complementary philosophical, historical
and political science perspectives. The first four chapters
contain theoretical frameworks and are the strongest part of
the book, although the link with the case studies is
tenuous. These chapters include state formation and
education (Andy Green), citizenship, justice and political
communality (David Hogan), feminist theory (Victoria
Foster), and citizenship issues in a postmodern world (Rob
Gilbert). The remaining chapters are case studies that
illustrate the theoretical perspectives and include England
(Ken Fogelman), Malaysia (Haris Md Jadi), Hong Kong (Paul
Morris), Australia (Murray Print), and the United States
(Sherry Field).
By and large, the authors competently review their subject,
pointing out the historical limits of Australian concern
with citizenship education in terms of a former colonial
past and non-recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples
(not formally citizens until 1967). The strength of this
modest volume lies in its competent handling of a limited
number of case studies and frameworks. Its weakness lies in
actually addressing the “tensions, the disagreements
and the conflicting views” mentioned by the editor in
the introduction that surround citizenship education.
Scholars of this field, especially those who look beyond a
first level of traditional civics education/citizenship
education in Europe, may be disappointed.
Since World War II, issues of individual and collective
responsibility and social control cannot be absent from
citizenship education without risk. Nor can such
considerations be absent from the debate among educators,
let alone policy-makers. It is tempting in countries such
as Australia which have only recently (historically-speaking)
addressed the injustice imposed on indigenous
peoples to frame debates in terms of removing
“impediments for individuals or groups to participate
and contribute to the common good in a constructive
way” (page ix). But the removal of impediments is
certainly not enough. The usual response in that part of the
world as in the United States is one about positive
discrimination. On the other hand, it is impossible to
ignore the non-recognition of diversity as a basic principle
of French republican definitions of equality of
opportunity/treatment. This very different approach has
little impact on a larger framing of citizenship education
or civics education. But the constant reminder of both a
colonial past and the effect of the Algerian war of
independence with current concerns about social violence and
violence in schools force some attention to larger issues.
One strand of analysis of violence simply responds to media
and political posturing to develop security or penal
answers. Another strand insists on examining the origins of
the violence of social institutions, including schools, that
perpetuate notions that one is “only following
orders,” such as in carrying out a curriculum or, in
the graver past, developing a society that acted consciously
and deliberately to further the Holocaust. Neither a war of
independence nor World War II touched many of the countries
in this volume very directly. Perhaps it is for this reason
that the authors do not take into account a larger body of
literature that considers individual and collective
responsibility and social control. Within its stated
purpose, however, Kennedy and co-authors provide a competent
slim volume that can usefully serve for course work in
undergraduate teacher education where the aim is to
introduce international perspectives.
About the Reviewer
Leslie J. Limage, Educational Policy Research and Studies,
UNESCO, Paris.
Dr. Leslie J. Limage has research interests in literacy and
basic education policies and practices, immigrant and minority
education, labor market prospects; gender issues in education.
Professional background includes service as staff member of Education Sector of
UNESCO, consultant to OECD-CERI on immigrant and minority
education and labor market issues; teacher in the United Kingdom,
France and the United States. Dr. Limage is an American graduate of the
University of California, Santa Barbara, University of Paris,
University of London Institute of Education in Comparative
Education, Sociology of Education, Economics of Education.
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