Patriotism, Diversity, and Education

Patriotism is most broadly defined as love of one's country. How individuals and groups manifest that love is the subject of lively debate. An increasingly heterogeneous population has renewed interest in interrogating the role of patriotism in a diverse society. Nowhere are the debates around various visions of diversity and patriotic attachment more pointed, more protracted, and more consequential than in schools because schools have always been called on to stoke patriotic beliefs and actions. This entry describes different conceptions of patriotism, how they have been articulated in schools, and how they might be challenged or strengthened by diversity.