Why did Denmark develop mass education for all in 1814, while Britain created a public-school system only in 1870 that primarily educated academic achievers?
Cathie Jo Martin argues that fiction writers and their literary narratives inspired education campaigns throughout the nineteenth-century. Danish writers imagined mass schools as the foundation for a great society and economic growth. Their depictions fortified the mandate to educate all people and showed neglecting low-skill youth would waste societal resources and threaten the social fabric. Conversely, British authors pictured mass education as harming social stability, lower-class work, and national culture. Their stories of youths who overcame structural injustices with individual determination made it easier to blame students who failed to seize educational opportunities. Novel and compelling, Education for All? uses a multidisciplinary perspective to offer a unique gaze into historical policymaking.
Speaker:
· Cathie Jo Martin, Professor (Boston University)
Panellists:
· Alissa Siara, Doctoral researcher (SPS, EUI)
· Ellen Greaves, Max Weber Fellow (ECO/MWP, EUI)
· Gary Marks , Part-time Professor (RSC, EUI)
Chair:
· Fabian Mushövel, Marie Curie Fellow (SPS, EUI)
This event is jointly organised by the Social Investment Working Group and the Political Economy Working Group.
Please register in order to get a seat and to receive the ZOOM link.