A civic rebalancing of British multiculturalism? An analysis of geography, history and citizenship education curricula

Abstract

This article draws on history, geography and citizenship education curricula and six semi‐structured interviews with policy‐makers – three with officials from the Department for Children, Schools and Families, two from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and one from the Office for Standards in Education. It argues that the governmental approach of a “civic rebalancing” of multiculturalism is reflected in education. The study also shows how history, geography and citizenship curricula reflect current policy discourses, emphasising community cohesion whilst sustaining the British legacy of multiculturalism and underplaying the notion of Europe. The article contributes to a larger debate on the ways in which curricula and policy‐makers balance cultural diversity and community cohesion, and considers democracy in the school as a potentially cohesive factor. It departs from standard two‐way comparisons of national versus European or national versus multicultural agendas in addressing how national, European and migration‐related agendas are intertwined.