Educational-Welfare Policies «in the Name of the Nation»: A Comparative Study in the Greek-Orthodox Communities of Macedonia and Black Sea Region (1860-1923)

Abstract

This comparative study attempts to describe and interpret the contribution of education and welfare policies to Modern Greek nationalism, focusing on two different contexts: Macedonia and the Ottoman Black Sea region. These two regions were chosen as the main research field for the following reasons: (i) both Macedonia and the Black Sea region were inhabited by a mixed group of Christian, Muslim, Jewish, etc. populations, (ii) the Orthodox populations of both areas fell under the intellectual auspices of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, (iii) the Ottoman reforms were implemented in both areas, and (iv) both regions were influenced by the penetration and dissemination of Modern Greek Nationalism. The main goals of this research were (i) to investigate whether there were any differences between the two contexts during the period mentioned above (1860–1923), (ii) to identify the reasons behind education and welfare policies in Macedonia and the Black Sea region, (iii) to identify the different types of education and welfare policies adopted in Macedonia and the Black Sea region, (iv) to determine the effects of implementation of these policies in each of the two reference frameworks, and (v) to examine whether and how this application of welfare and education policies in each framework was associated with the spread of Modern Greek Nationalism.