Local Associations, National Identities: Exploring the Public Sphere in John Dewey’s Visit to Turkey

• In Event: Intersecting the Global and Local: Education and Nation Building

Abstract

This paper re-examines John Dewey’s trip to Turkey in 1924, in light of recent insights from public sphere theorists, to explore the tension in Dewey’s thought between the need for locally empowered communities, and the rising global influence of the nation-state in the early 20th century. By placing Dewey’s trip within the framework of theorists such as Arendt, Habermas, and Laclau, the paper argues that such a re-examination helps to explore the historical (and ongoing) tension between the hegemonic forces of the nation-state, and the progressive dream of empowerment of local communities through the creation of small, organic public spheres.

Author

• Jeremy Cole, Georgia State University