History in the making: constructions of 'nation' and 'citizen'

Abstract

Citizenship education has undergone a revival in Australia over the past two decades in response to national historical milestones, such as the bicentenary of ‘settlement’, and issues such as globalisation and multiculturalism. History teaching is recognised by citizenship educators as promoting nationalism. A deconstruction of the ways in which the 2004 Queensland Senior Modern History syllabus presents ‘nation’ and ‘citizen’ raises questions about history teaching and citizenship more generally. This paper uses poststructuralist discourse analysis to highlight the ways in which students are discursively positioned. In conjunction with the analysis, Foucault’s concepts of technologies of the self and subjectification are used as a framework for arguing the significance of positioning students of history ambivalently as subjects of a global society as well as citizens of a nation. Analytical examples illuminate the position of the citizen and diminished presence of the nation. The nation is not the dominant point of orientation in the document, which also explores issues at an individual, community and global level. This indicates a shift from knowledgeable national citizens to the fostering of social subjects with capacities such as reflection, critical analysis, tolerance and evaluation. The education of ‘social’ subjects within the history syllabus encompasses many spheres of belonging and a dynamic view of citizenship education.