Community in Early Twentieth Century Schools, A Case Study: 1920s-1940s

Abstract

“Community civics” developed as a new American school program for citizenship education at the turn of the twentieth century. It conceived of good citizens as individuals who understood, valued, and lived in a manner that nurtured “communities” and was linked to Progressivist philosophy. Like many American educational ideas, it found its way into Canada. After briefly describing Community Civics, this paper presents the findings of a case study of one BC school that illustrates how it attempted to develop a common feeling of community in its student body through its textbooks and school culture from the 1920s to the 1940s.