Abstract

Abstract:

This article examines individual narratives of armistice observance in British schools at a moment of polarized public debate about war and peace. Teachers and pupils described what they did, thought, and felt during their school's commemorations on November 11, 1937, in accounts penned for social research organization Mass Observation. While participating in compulsory acts of observance, they experienced the symbols, rituals, and texts of collective remembrance in complex ways: their articulation of a common civic act was shaped by the power dynamics and priorities of the school setting, as well as individual histories and ideological commitments.

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