From savages to capitalists: progressive images of education in the UK and the USA (1920–1939)

Sjaak Braster, MM del Pozo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

One strand of historical research in education that sails on the waves of the visual turn in history concerns the progressive image of education. A major reference point is an article written in 2007 by Burke and Grosvenor, who, on the basis of the photographic archives of two progressive schools in England, constructed a visual typology of progressive education. After a content analysis of 944 images published in the educational journal The New Era and 1827 images in Progressive Education in the period 1920–1939, it is concluded that this typology is partly adequate for describing a common image of new education in the UK and progressive education in the USA. But it should be extended with two more elements: (a) urban discovery and nature exploration, and (b) cultural-historical representations and recapitulation. In the latter children are first portrayed as ‘primitive savages’ who later become little bankers and shopkeepers in a capitalist economy.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)571-595
Number of pages24
JournalHistory of Education
Volume49
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020

Research programs

  • ESSB SOC

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