Describes the emergence of scholarly thought that puts considerations of children and childhood at the center of the profound rethinkings of nationalism and the nation-state that have taken place within the last several decades. Introduces the international conference on children and nationalism from which articles in this journal derive, and…

Asserts that modern ideas about the nation can be characterized by an emphasis on outer boundaries, and that contemporary Norwegians put questions of units and boundaries into the foreground with particular force. Describes how boundaries are important in Norwegians' everyday lives, most notably in current debates about raising children and about…

After a discussion of the circumstances that led to the unification of the two German states, this paper then evaluates the challenges to political education in Germany after unification. Beginning with the focus by the media and politics on the effects of East German political changes on the two German states, the revolution in East Germany and…

The question of what a national language is good for has been asked and answered many times, and the validity of each answer depends on historical circumstances. Many assume that there is a direct relationship between language and nation. Leibniz argued in 1683, at a time when bilingualism was socially stratifying, that nation and language…

Traces the transformation of Subsaharan Africa during the last 35 years. Contends that the domino effect hastened decolonization and increased polarization within South Africa. Argues that modernization is taking place only in South Africa's core and that the geopolitical framework appears stable but may collapse from within. (NL)

Having been schooled in the intellectual tradition of the strict separation of church and state, educational researchers have devoted little scholarly attention to how religion affects education. This paper delineates the ways in which religion and politics intersect to shape society, particularly, the impact of the intersection on education. The…

Discusses the concept of nationalism and seeks to analyze whether "Latin-Americanism" can serve as a lever for a nationalistic type of social movement. In spite of separate national group identifications going back 150 years, research indicates that the socio-psychological preconditions of a Latin American supranationalism do exist. (CS)