ABSTRACT

Patriotism and nationalism have long played an important role in the development of music education. Educating loyal citizens through patriotic songs that celebrate the glorious history, cultural characteristics, and cherished values and virtues of a nation has been widely considered an acceptable, even crucial, part of the music education curriculum worldwide. It is important to uncover the role that patriotism and nationalism play in the music education curriculum worldwide in order to prevent the misuse of music education for ideological purposes. Music educators often do not seem to fully realize the impact of patriotism and nationalism on the music education curriculum, for they commonly fail to critically examine not only the nature and extent of its influence, but also its potential benefits and costs. It is important for readers to keep in mind the inherent limitations associated with any book of this kind.