Citizenship Consciousness and Moral Values in Civics Textbooks in Turkey (1924-1945)

Abstract

States need education to raise not only citizens but also good citizens. Changes in the concept of citizenship from the past to the present have also been reflected in civic education. While in ancient Greece, the good citizen was identified with being virtuous in the Aristotelian sense, with the emergence of nation-states, the good citizen is now symbolized by a person who is aware of his/her rights and responsibilities, devoted to his/her homeland, and whose national feelings are developed. Textbooks, which are one of the most important carriers of this transformation, form the main axis of our research. Textbooks, which are the tools of educational programs that reflect the social, ideological, cultural, and mental character of countries, have a serious share in the mental development of students, the transformation of their self-existence, and the creation of their personalities. In this context, the role played by textbooks, especially civics textbooks, in raising moral generations can not be overlooked. The aim of this research is to evaluate the six citizenship-themed textbooks prepared between 1924 and 1945, based on the social, political, and cultural atmosphere of the period, and to examine the awareness and importance of citizenship through philosophical questioning. This research was conducted with a case study method from qualitative research designs. Since the time period of the research (1924-1945) was long, six of the civics textbooks obtained by the documentary screening model were selected by the purposive sampling method. Based on the content of these textbooks, categories were created. The examination of the categories shows that the meanings attributed to the concept of "good" of the era in which the Civics Textbooks were written differ. However, in the textbooks examined in the research, there are also points that remain unchanged. It is understood that the students are expected to keep the concepts of land, homeland, and state above all else, and even willingly sacrifice their lives for them if necessary.