Abstract
This article examines how, in the decade following India's independence, the psychology of childhood became a locus of experimentation, and an avenue through which approaches to postcolonial development were expressed. Tracing the ideas of educational reformers, psychological researchers and child welfare advocates, we show how a ‘science of childhood’ in this period emphasised both the inherent potential and the emotional complexity of India's young citizens. However, while identifying this potential, these actors at times circumscribed it by deploying culturalist assumptions about Indian childhood that were linked to a teleology of the new nation state. These were ideas that shaped a ‘pedagogic’ approach to postcolonial modernisation. Nation-building was not just a technocratic undertaking, but an educative project that was scientific, spiritual, and therapeutic in orientation. The article argues for greater attention to the pedagogy of the state in analyses of past and present state-citizen relations.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 345-359 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Journal | Journal of Historical Sociology |
Volume | 32 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Sept 2019 |
Bibliographical note
The acceptance date for this record is provisional and based upon the month of publication for the article.Research Groups and Themes
- SoE Centre for Comparative and International Research in Education