Globalizing Nation States and National Education Projects

Abstract

Abstract How does a world society perspective inform our understanding of the relationship between globalization and education? This chapter addresses this question by first reiterating the key assumptions of this perspective and showing how its main conceptual building blocks differ from more realist perspectives. The chapter emphasizes the degree to which the nation state and mass schooling and higher education as nation state projects globalized and, in turn, contributed to the globalization of an idealized nation state and its key institutions. Next, the chapter revisits world society research directions in two domains: (1) portraits of state, society, and the individual in textbooks, and (2) transformations in higher education. More specifically, the chapter gauges the impact of world society models of “the good society” on educational developments. In conclusion, the chapter reflects on which educational developments are likely to persist and which are more vulnerable to challenges to the dominant and guiding visions of progress and justice.