Language, Citizenship, and Sami Education in the Nordic North, 1900-1940

The making of the modern Nordic states in the first half of the twentieth century prioritized elementary education to create a universal and equal notion of citizenship, but it often ignored the language, culture, wishes, and needs of minorities like the indigenous Sámi. Otso Kortekangas examines how educational policies affected the Sámi people residing in the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, and Finland, exploring the arguments for the lack of Sámi language in schools, how Sámi teachers have promoted the use of their mother tongue, and how the history of the Sámi compares to other indigenous and minority populations globally. This detailed study provides essential information for educators, policy-makers, and academics, as well as anyone interested in the history of education and the relationship between large-scale government policies and indigenous peoples.

Format: Hardback
Length: 184 pages
Publication date: 17 March 2021
Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press

Elementary education played a crucial role in shaping the concept of citizenship in the modern Nordic states during the first half of the twentieth century, aiming to create a universal and equal notion of citizenship for all citizens. However, these education policies often overlooked the language, culture, wishes, and needs of minorities, particularly the indigenous Sámi population. In his book, "The Sámi as an Active, Transnational Population in Early Twentieth-Century Northern Europe," Otso Kortekangas examines the impact of educational policies on the Sámi people residing in the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Kortekangas delves into the arguments for the lack of Sámi language in schools, the efforts of Sámi teachers to promote the use of their mother tongue within the school systems, and the historical context of the Sámi compared to other indigenous and minority populations globally. The book's timely focus on educational policies in multiethnic societies and its ambitious scope make it an essential resource for educators, policy-makers, academics, and anyone interested in the history of education and the relationship between large-scale government policies and indigenous peoples.

Weight: 370g
Dimension: 161 x 236 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780228005681