ABSTRACT
From a world society perspective the key concepts initially emphasised involved the nation-state as a model, mass schooling as a nation-state project, and the symbolic triumph of schooling as authority. Simplifying enormously, the core argument is threefold: (i) nation-states acquire legitimacy to the degree that they enact proper nation-state identity; (ii) the expansion of education is a central feature of the enactment of proper nation-state identity; and thus (iii) nation-states expand schooling beyond what one might expect if increased schooling was simply a reaction to local or national conditions.
