The "Ideological Offensive" in Education: the Portrayal of the United States in Secondary Curricula and Textbooks in Poland during the Stalinist Period (1948-1956)
During the period of the People's Republic of Poland (1952-1989), schools played a decisive role in transmitting the official ideology of the ruling Communist regime and cultivating young supporters. One of the most important aspects of indoctrination was constructing in students' hearts a...
| Veröffentlicht in: | Cold war history. - London : Cass, 2000. - 17(2017), 3, Seite 299 |
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| Format: | Aufsatz |
| Sprache: | English |
| Veröffentlicht: |
2017
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| Zugriff auf das übergeordnete Werk: | Cold war history |
| Schlagworte: | textbooks Poland curriculum indoctrination propaganda |
| Zusammenfassung: | During the period of the People's Republic of Poland (1952-1989), schools played a decisive role in transmitting the official ideology of the ruling Communist regime and cultivating young supporters. One of the most important aspects of indoctrination was constructing in students' hearts and minds a particular image and disposition towards the United States. While existing research has examined the high level of political propaganda in the content of textbooks and curricula during the Communist period in Poland, no one has specifically analysed how these materials depicted the United States during the critical Stalinist years (1948-1956). Analysis of official curricula and textbooks for civics and history courses in secondary schools indicates that over this period, school materials increasingly depicted the United States as 'predatory,' 'imperialist,' and 'exploitative.' This study illustrates how curricular materials aligned with the foreign policy objectives of the Polish United Workers' Party and the Soviet Union. |
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| ISSN: | 1468-2745 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/14682745.2017.1284202 |