![Sample our Education journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5932/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Education.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
This study explored ways in which official social studies textbooks in South Korea promote global citizenship given the dominant neoliberal ideology in the field of education. Employing soft versus critical global citizenship education (GCE) and critical discourse analysis, this study analyzed 12 middle-school (seventh to ninth grades) social studies textbooks that are mandatory in Korean public schools. The findings of this study demonstrate the prevalence of a neoliberal agenda and nationalist rhetoric in the global citizenship discourses in the textbooks. We discussed the extent to which themes for GCE including globalization, cultural diversity, peace, sustainability, and associated skills and dispositions were instrumental in perpetuating neoliberal economic values and nationalism while marginalizing social justice and multiculturalism in official textbooks.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Yoonjung Choi
Yoonjung Choi is an assistant professor in the Department of Social Studies Education at Ewha Womans University, Education A418, 52 Ewhayeodae-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea; e-mail: [email protected]. Her research interests include social studies curriculum and instruction, global/multicultural teacher education, and culturally relevant pedagogy for new immigrants.
Yeji Kim is a Ph.D. student in social studies education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research interests include global citizenship education, multicultural education, teacher education, and social studies curricula. She currently serves as an adjunct instructor for Hunter College.