Nationalism was not always "bad"

Nationalism has a very bad reputation. It is often distinguished from patriotism, as if patriotism took with it the good qualities of nationalism, leaving nationalism to bear the other not so desirable qualities. Nationalism, as I know it, in my part of the world, was about countries fighting for independence, often from their colonial masters. So... how did it get this bad reputation? Is it because the colonial masters did not like the locals rising up against them?

I have been interested in this idea of Pan-Africanism, which my friend termed continental patriotism. It is about the cooperation of nations. It is not about using power to fight for one's own nation's interest. It is using power to fight for the good of a group of nations. It is Tanzania and other countries helping South Africa gain freedom from apartheid. It is Cuba training nationalists to help them overthrow their colonists.

When I think of nationalism, I do not think American exceptionalism. Maybe American nationalism is of that kind. But when I think of the nationalism of many African and Asian countries, I think of locals rising up against their foreign rulers, take the Philippines and Jose Rizal for example, and asking why should the natives be treated as second-rate citizens. I think of bravery, courage, subversion, dissent... The very qualities American liberals praise...

Maybe one day I should write a paper regarding this to redeem nationalism and to tell the world the untold stories of African and Asian nationalists. The brave people... son of the soil...

See... this was written by my friend,
"So, my sister/brother, be an African. Think of what you need and want to do. Imagine it. Envision it like Mandela. Work upon it like Nyerere. Build it like Nkrumah. Create it like Sankara or die for it like Lumumba."

Africa had so many great leaders, nationalists... What is so bad about nationalism?

Narratives

There is a purpose for telling a story. Take "Tob" Story which I just read (excluding the missing printed pages in the book), the story of how Tao Kae Noi, the seaweed snack company, became successful. Clearly, there's an element of Tob sharing how he did it to encourage others that they can do it too, the element of sharing of lessons that he learned such as perseverance, and seeing problems as opportunities, and another clear element is using the story to thank the people who have helped him  in this journey.

I am thinking about the stories told by teachers in the classroom. The time S shared about the hungry ghost festival, the time T shared about witnessing a victim of suicide being handcuffed despite being already dead, the time Y showed a video in her class to illustrate the importance of perspective, the other time F shared about the story of Islam and Christianity, and why till this day there is fighting between the two groups.

These teachers reverted to narratives to make a point, to reinforced something, or to make their students think deeper, or to connect with students and help students identify... I am thinking of changing the direction of my Ph.D. to more heavily focus on "narratives," how social studies teachers use narratives in the classroom.

I find this would broaden my topic of patriotism, and ground it as the same time. Not every country or person believe very much about patriotism, many in fact don't like the word at all, but national stories are prevalent, and every nation has a history, official or counter-narratives, they are all there.

I noticed a trend in my research interest... It has always been about cognition and emotion, reason and love, enlightenment and romanticism... This coupling and tension... I believe in narratives, the two come together. Stories can be used to both make someone think and also make them feel, at different points in the story, there can be different objectives. A story can achieve multiple objectives. It can end in a manner that makes something think and question... Hence, a very useful tool for critical thinking.

I am thinking of coming up with a taxonomy of narratives that social studies teachers use, if that has not already been done. I will need to read up more to see what has been done... It covers the area of history education, which I'm not too familiar with.

So yes, this is an update of where my research is going! I am thinking about stories, about narratives. Brene Brown said, "Maybe stories are just data with a soul." Yes, I think stories have both a factual and fantasy component, which makes it a powerful tool in the classroom. Let's see how this goes...

The group of average

Talking about education issues, I feel I need to speak up for that group who is the norm, who are not the really bad, nor the really good, the students who are perhaps above average or fighting to be average. These are the bookworms who want to do well in their studies. They are the group that knows that hard work pays off, and make a difference to their grades.

The weaker students and the gifted students may think that there's nothing much to do to change their grades, or even the perception people have of them, they have less to lose in terms of expressing their opinions in class, and also sort of less expectations by others on their grades.

But that group in the middle, that studious group who buries their heads into the books, they receive so little pity. They are mocked for being muggers, mocked for not having a voice of their own, only caring about results, and perhaps for being so boringly obedient and conventional.

(Forgive my gross generalizations, just trying to bring a point across.)

I think I speak up for this group, because I used to be one of them, and I couldn't see my individuality. I couldn't see that who I am was beyond what I can achieve in school, and is in fact more important than the outcomes I achieve.

I hope we don't overlook this group, or think they are doing fine, just because they are quiet, obedient, hardworking, and more or less average, average enough not to be noticed.