Education,Reconciliation and Nested Identities

Abstract

In divided societies reconciliation between groups is an important, though difficult, goal. Democratic states always favor some group identities over others, making the idea of full reconciliation ever elusive. I argue that education alone cannot do much for reconciliation in divided societies, but can do so in tandem with a parallel political process of reconciliation. One way to push reconciliation through both is to construct a society that accepts the idea of nested identities; a state with nested identities accepts the different identities within it, though an overarching state identity is overlaid on top of these other identities. I suggest ways in which the idea of nested identities can be implemented in schools.