This article examines individual narratives of armistice observance in British schools at a moment of polarized public debate about war and peace. Teachers and pupils described what they did, thought, and felt during their school’s commemorations on November 11th, 1937, in accounts penned for the social research organisation Mass Observation. They experienced the symbols, rituals, and texts of acts of collective remembrance in complex ways. Whilst participating in compulsory acts of observance their articulation of a common civic act was shaped by the power dynamics and priorities of the school setting, and individual histories and ideological commitments.
Wright, Susannah
School of Education
Year of publication: 2020Date of RADAR deposit: 2020-02-10
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