Provides a state-of-the-art account of how people's subjective sense of national identity develops through childhood and adolescence.

This state-of-the-art review of research covers children's understanding of the school, economics, politics, the law and legal processes, gender roles, social class and occupational groupings, racial groups, ethnic groups and national groups.

This special issue reports the findings from eight studies which examined children’s national identifications and national attitudes. Data were collected from 725 7- and 11-year-old children living in countries that have or have not experienced violence or war in the recent past. Twelve national groups participated in the studies, including Jewish and Arab children (Israel), Bosniak and Serbian children (Bosnia), Catholic and Protestant children (Northern Ireland), Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot children (Cyprus), Basque and Spanish children (the Basque Country), and Dutch and English children (The Netherlands and England). The studies examined whether differences in the structure and content of national identity and attitudes result not only from processes of knowledge acquisition but also from cohort and context effects. Developmental and gender differences within each national group, and differences between national groups, are explored in terms of the cultural heritage of the particular group to which the children belong and the patterns of historical and contemporary relationships that exist between their own group and the various outgroups towards which their attitudes were assessed. Findings show that the development of national identifications and national attitudes exhibit considerable cross-national variation as a function of the specific socio-historical contexts within which children develop. These studies, considered together, indicate the need for developmental theorising in this area to avoid simplistic conclusions based upon data collected within just one specific location. The adoption of a broader cross-national comparative perspective is required when attempting to address questions concerning how children’s national identifications and attitudes develop within real-world settings.

Written by a team of international scholars from China, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand and the UK, this book provides interdisciplinary studies on the construction and transformation of Chinese national identity in the age of globalisation. It addresses a wide range of issues central to national identity in the context of Chinese culture, politics, economy and society, and explores a diverse set of topics including the formation of an embryonic form of national identity in the late Qing era, the influence of popular culture on national identity, globalisation and national identity, the interaction and discourse between ethnic identity and national identity, and identity construction among overseas Chinese. It highlights the latest developments in the field and offers a distinctive contribution to our knowledge and understanding of national identity. ​

This collection of essays and reflections starts from an analysis of the purposes of foreign language teaching and argues that this should include educational objectives which are ultimately similar to those of education for citizenship. It does so by a journey through reflections on what is possible and desirable in the classroom and how language teaching has a specific role in education systems which have long had, and often still have, the purpose of encouraging young people to identify with the nation-state. Foreign language education can break through this framework to introduce a critical internationalism. In a ‘globalised’ and ‘internationalised’ world, the importance of identification with people beyond the national borders is crucial. Combined with education for citizenship, foreign language education can offer an education for ‘intercultural citizenship’.

Drawing upon the perspective of social identity theory, The Development of the Social Self is concerned with the acquisition and development of children's social identities. In contrast to previous work on self-development, which has focused primarily on the development of the personal self, this volume makes a case for the importance of the study of the social self - that is, the self as defined through group memberships, such as gender, ethnicity, and nationality. A broad range of identity-related issues are addressed, such as ingroup identification, conceptions of social identities, prejudice, and the central role of social context. Based on contributions from leading researchers in Europe, Australia and the US, the book summarises the major research programmes conducted to date. Furthermore, the closing chapters provide commentary on this research, as well as mapping out key directions for future research. With a unique focus encompassing both social and developmental psychology, The Development of the Social Self will appeal to a broad spectrum of students and researchers in both disciplines, as well as those working in related areas such as sociology and child development.

This book provides a state-of-the-art account of how people's subjective sense of national identity, and attitudes towards countries and national groups, develop through the course of childhood and adolescence. It offers a comprehensive review of the research which has been conducted into: . children's understanding of nations as geographical territories and as political, historical and cultural communities . children's knowledge, beliefs and feelings about the people who belong to different national groups . children's attitudes towards, and emotional attachment to, their own country and national group. The authors elaborate on the developmental patterns that have been found to emerge, contextualized by a consideration and evaluation of the theoretical frameworks which can be used to explain these patterns. Written by the leading international authority in this field, and reporting (in collaboration with his colleagues) the findings from two major transnational research projects, this book will be invaluable to postgraduate students and researchers working in this field. The book will also be of great benefit to undergraduate students taking courses in Developmental Psychology, the Sociology of Childhood, and Education.