Historical and Social Aspects of the Politicization of Pedagogical Education in Soviet Georgia (1921–1932)
Historical and Social Aspects of the Politicization of Pedagogical Education in Soviet Georgia (1921–1932)
Author(s): Imeri Basiladze, Lela Tavdgiridze, Maia BolkvadzeSubject(s): History, Education, Social history, Recent History (1900 till today), History of Education, State/Government and Education, Interwar Period (1920 - 1939), Pedagogy
Published by: БАЛКАНИСТИЧЕН ФОРУМ - МЕЖДУНАРОДЕН УНИВЕРСИТЕТСКИ СЕМИНАР ЗА ПРОУЧВАНИЯ И СПЕЦИАЛИЗАЦИИ
Keywords: Soviet Georgia; politicization of education; Soviet pedagogy; educational reforms; ideology; pedagogical textbooks
Summary/Abstract: This article examines the politicization of pedagogical education in Soviet Geor-gia between 1921 and 1932, focusing on the transformation of educational thought under Bolshevik rule. Drawing on archival materials, government decrees, pedagogical textbooks, and works by Georgian and international educators, the study explores how Soviet ideological imperatives reshaped educational policies, teaching methods, and pedagogical theory. Particular attention is paid to the ad-aptation and reinterpretation of American and European educational models, including the ideas of John Dewey, within the Soviet ideological framework. The article argues that the early Soviet period was characterized by intensive pedagogical experimentation; however, these innovations gradually became subordinated to Marxist-Leninist ideology and political objectives. The study demonstrates that the increasing politicization of education contributed to the centralization of educational governance, the marginalization of alternative pedagogical approaches, and the establishment of a unified Soviet educational model aimed at shaping the "new Soviet citizen". The findings contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between education, ideology, and nation-building in Soviet Georgia during the formative decades of Soviet rule.
Journal: Balkanistic Worlds
- Issue Year: 2/2026
- Issue No: 2
- Page Range: 165-186
- Page Count: 22
- Language: English
