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Making economic ci izens
beyond neolibe alism: His o ical
ajec o ies o a banke
associa ion’s e o s in
economic educa ion
Thomas Ruoss
Swiss Fede al Uni e si y o Voca ional Educa ion and T aining, Swi ze land
Abs ac
This pape explo es he a ionales o ci izenship ha unde lie he de elopmen o economic
educa ion. To achie e his, i analyses he ac i i ies o a globally ac i e p i a e in e es
g oup, he In e na ional Th i Ins i u e (ITI), ocusing on h ee selec ed his o ical pe iods
cha ac e ized by c ises and change. The analysis shows ha he educa ion o economic
ci izens is a his o y o jux aposi ions o unde lying con lic s w apped in a cons an need o
consensus o s abilize changing poli ical sys ems. Du ing c ises, he ITI championed di e en ,
and con lic ing, a ionales o economic ci izenship. These ange om he idea o economic
educa ion as an expe ience-based ac i i y ha s eng hens indi iduals’ emo ional e lexes in
dealing wi h money, he eby p omo ing social cohesion, o he idea o economic educa ion as
a ans o ma i e in e en ion ha c ea es economic ci izens as cus ome s o ins i u ionalized
sa ing se ices. The pape a gues ha economic educa ion, gi en i s no ma i e goals, should
no be educed by p i a e in e es g oups o legi imise and s abilise hei agenda. Educa ion
o economic ci izenship mus emain con o e sial o aise ques ions abou he economy.
These a e issues ha canno be add essed h ough indi idual consume beha iou , bu a he
h ough poli ical ac ion. Economic ci izens need o ecognise poli ical agency, collec i e
delibe a ion and s uc u al condi ions.
Keywo ds
Economic educa ion, ci izenship educa ion, in e na ional o ganisa ion, his o y o educa ion,
p i a in e es g oups
Co esponding au ho :
Thomas Ruoss, Swiss Fede al Uni e si y o Voca ional Educa ion and T aining, Ki chlindachs asse 79, Zolliko en 3052,
Swi ze land.
Email: [email p o ec ed]
Con ibu ion o a special issue
1388192EER0010.1177/14749041251388192Eu opean Educa ional Resea ch Jou nalRuoss
esea ch-a icle2025
2 Eu opean Educa ional Resea ch Jou nal 00(0)
Educa ion, ci izenship and economics in his o ical pe spec i e:
an in oduc ion
In he de elopmen o mode n socie ies, educa ion, ci izenship and economics ha e been closely
linked, shaping a sys em in which ci izens’ economic knowledge, inancial powe and economic
pe o mance a e closely ied o hei s a us as ci izens (Ruyskens elde and Ke ch, 2018; Sch eibe ,
2014). The 20 h cen u y, wi h i s poli ical and economic uphea als and ans o ma ions, saw
epea ed enego ia ions o he ela ionship be ween educa ion, democ acy and economics. The idea
o he consume was he one ha gain mos ac ion, becoming cen al o a concep o ci izenship
ha is adap able o di e en poli ical con ex s and pedagogical concep s (A hu , 2012; Laba ee,
2011; Ricci e al., 2016; Sp ing, 2003; S eeck, 2012). The ela ionship o he economic ci izen as
consume o socie y, unlike ha o he poli ical subjec , is no de ined in e ms o democ a ic igh s
and social in eg a ion, bu p ima ily by he possibili y o economic in e ac ion and he accumula-
ion o (human) capi al. The es ablishmen o his a ionale o he economic ci izen as an indi idual
consume , howe e , was his o ically con ingen – i s ill is. I is by no means wi hou al e na i es.
On he con a y, i has always been con es ed.
The ques ion o he undamen al no ma i i y o ci izenship ex ends beyond he economic
con en o educa ion (Giudici e al., in p ess; Mye s & Rapopo , 2021). The ension be ween
con lic and consensus su ounding ci izenship educa ion becomes pa icula ly acu e in imes o
poli ical o economic c isis. Such c ises a e ypically accompanied by a decline in us in poli i-
cal ins i u ions, which, in u n, esul s in mo e na ionalis ic app oaches o ci izenship, as well as
a shi in unde s andings o ci izenship ha ocus mo e on indi idual skills and employabili y
(Hoskins e al., 2016). Recen wo k also iden i ies, and c i icizes, such c isis-induced e ec s in
ela ion o he educa ion o economic ci izens. Meylemans e al. (2023) a ibu e such an in lu-
ence on he 2008 inancial c isis, hailing i as an ‘economic shi in hinking abou you h ci izen-
ship’ (968). Mo e specially, Willis (2017) a gues ha he inancial c isis si ua ion c ea ed a
s ong and no ma i e demand o ‘ inancial li e acy educa ion’. Consequen ly, in e na ional
o ganisa ions such as he Eu opean Commission and he OECD began p omo ing ini ia i es o
educa e hose who had ecen ly los hei economic basis, encou aging hem o pe sonally manage
hei money mo e a ionally.
Schola s’ c i icism o he idea ha economic ci izenship should e ol e a ound pe sonal espon-
sibili y o managing money needs o be pu in o pe spec i e. Indeed, bo h he c i icism and hei
a ge a e no new. The 2008 c isis was jus one o se e al ha Wes e n socie ies ha e expe ienced,
meaning we need o look u he back in ime o unde s and he dynamics ha ha e shaped and
e-shaped unde s andings o economic ci izenship. To iden i y he 2008 c isis as he sole de e mi-
nan o he cu en dominan unde s anding o economic ci izenship and o link his unde s anding
o neolibe al ideology, would obscu e ou unde s anding o he cu en con o e sies su ounding
economic ci izenship. Agains his backd op, a his o ically in o med pe spec i e can highligh he
di e si y, con adic ions, s abili y and a iabili y o such ci izenship concep s, while also e ealing
he oles played by bo h o icial policymake s and ac o s ope a ing ou side ins i u ional channels
o powe in hese delibe a ions.
Wha cons i u es an economic ci izen is shaped by his o ical de elopmen s and egional
adi ions, which help o explain con empo a y policy dispu es a ound he ole and con en o
economic educa ion. Consequen ly, di e se a ionales o economic educa ion con inue o in lu-
ence how young people lea n abou ma ke s, poli ics, and ci izenship (Ruoss e al., 2023). A
close look a cu icula app oaches o economic educa ion de eloped by social scien is s
e eals di e en in e p e a ions ha ha e eme ged o e ime and emain poli ically con en ious
o his day. This a ie y is a consequence, i s , o he de elopmen o economic ideas. The 20 h
Ruoss 3
cen u y alone, o example, saw he ise o neoclassicism, Keynesianism, and neolibe alism,
each o which imagined a di e en ole o ci izens in he economy (Cohen and Emme , 2012).
Neolibe alism as he ideological unde pinning o an indi idualis ic concep o inancial li e -
acy is al eady embedded in a long adi ion o ideas and p ac ices in economic educa ion.
Second, di e en disciplines ha e engaged wi h economic educa ion, ad ancing di e en cu -
icula p inciples o model he compe encies ha economic educa ion should encompass
(Acke mann, 2021). Howe e , beyond he deba e be ween di e en app oaches o compe ence
modelling, some schola s a gue ha he endency o ans o m economic ci izenship in o com-
pe encies is p oblema ic. F om hei pe spec i e, we a e acing an eme ging echnoc a ic model
o ci izenship educa ion ha ans o ms a no ma i e idea o ci izenship in o a na ow skills
agenda (Jo is e al., 2022). They ins ead call o a b oade concep ion o ci izenship and eco-
nomic ci izenship ha ecognises poli ical agency, collec i e delibe a ion and s uc u al condi-
ions—elemen s ha a e la gely absen om he compe ence discou se.
Meylemans e al. (2023) call o an analysis o ci izenship educa ion concep s in Eu ope ha
goes beyond a na ional pe spec i e. This pape ollows hei call by ocusing no on ac o s ope a -
ing a a na ional o sup a-na ional le el bu on a p i a e in e na ional ac o . I shows ha ci izenship
concep s wi h a speci ic economic ocus eme ged long be o e a sup a-na ional Eu opean le el
ac o became in ol ed in deba es on ci izenship educa ion. A he same ime, he deba e su ound-
ing ci izenship educa ion is no p ima ily conduc ed h ough s a e egula ion. Ins ead, i is con-
duc ed h ough ‘so powe ’ and hus he in luence o ac o s using in o ma ional and o ganisa ional
ools ocused on dialog and coo dina ion o ac i i ies om he bo om up (Abs, 2021). The e o e,
his pape ocuses on he impo ance o ac o s in he no ma i e deba e on wha should be augh
abou , by and h ough economics. The mo ally cha ged ield o economics educa ion has been
p omo ed mo e han any o he by he in ol emen o p i a e lobby g oups and associa ions, a he
han by s a e ac o s (Acke mann, 2018; Cha el, 2015; Hed ke, 2018; Ma inache, 2018; Suka ieh
and Tannock, 2009).
D awing on his wo k, his pape assumes no only ha bo h he ole o schooling and he con-
cep o ci izenship ha e always been poli ically con es ed, bu also ha in e es g oups played an
impo an ole in deba es a ound economic ci izenship. Focusing on he educa ional policies o
speci ic in e es g oups can help o ace he lines o con lic a ound educa ion, ci izenship and
economics. Mo e speci ically, his a icle sheds new ligh on he his o y o economic ci izenship by
engaging, o he i s ime, wi h a p i a e in e na ional ac o ounded wi h a speci ic mission and
commi men o economic educa ion: he In e na ional Th i Ins i u e (ITI). Founded in 1924, he
ITI ep esen s a global umb ella o ganisa ion o na ional sa ings banks ha ha e based hei aison
d’ê e on hei ole in economic educa ion. Because sa ings banks ac oss Eu ope ha e used he ITI
as a e e ence, especially in imes o c isis, a his o ical analysis o his in e na ional ac o is pa icu-
la ly aluable. This pape he e o e explo es he ollowing key ques ion: Which a ionales o eco-
nomic ci izenship we e pu o wa d by he ITI as a global banke associa ion in imes o change and
c isis om 1920s–1970s?
A his o ical analysis does no simply ocus on he de elopmen o a clea ly de ined con empo-
a y concep ; i also conside s he eme gence o a ionales o economic ci izenship wi hin speci ic
his o ical con ex s. To iden i y di e en a ionales o economic ci izenship ad anced in such con-
ex s, he pape adop s a b oad concep o ci izenship educa ion, which a ies depending on he
ime, he ac o ’s pe spec i e and he a ge audience. Jo is (2022) dis inguishes be ween h ee
a ionales o ci izenship educa ion ha each seeks di e en aims. A i s a ionale su ounding
socializa ion, which aims o p omo e social cohesion; a second a ionale ocussing subjec i ica ion,
which s i es o indi idual-emancipa o y aims; and a a ional o indi idual quali ica ion, which
con ibu es o he u he de elopmen o he economy and socie y o ans o ma ional aims.
4 Eu opean Educa ional Resea ch Jou nal 00(0)
This iadic concep ualisa ion is pa icula ly use ul o his esea ch, because i enables a ion-
ales o di e en social domains and hei ela ed aim. The poli ical domain is linked o socialisa-
ion aims, he pedagogical domain o indi idual emancipa ion aims, and he economic domain o
ans o ma ional aims. This b oad unde s anding o he pedagogical ac i i ies o a p i a e in e es
g oup allows o a di e en ia ed analysis. Such a b oad unde s anding o ci izenship educa ion
and o ‘holis ic economic ci izenship’ (C owley & Swan, 2018: 13) has also been pu o wa d o
con as he seemingly na ow unde s anding o economic ci izenship as pe sonal inancial
esponsibili y. ‘Financial ci izenship’, in Khalil’s (2021, p. 9) sugges ion, should be delibe a ely
expanded o include aspec s o pa icipa ion and social jus ice, in he sense o a ‘holis ic, e hical
and e olu iona y esponse (. . .) ha enables young people o ackle inancial, social, and eco-
nomic sys ems so hey ecognize ha hei economic and inancial eali y is a poli ical cons uc ,
which hey can choose o inhe i o change.’ To make his concep ualiza ion usable o he his o i-
cal analysis o an ac o ’s educa ional ac i i ies, his a icle asks o wha ex en he aims o ci izen-
ship appea in which con ex , and how hey change o e ime.
A e desc ibing my me hodological app oach (Chap e 2), I will ace he e olu ion o he
unde s anding o ci izenship o he ITI, my case s udy, h ough h ee his o ical pe iods cha ac e -
ized by e y di e en poli ical and geog aphical con ex s (Chap e 3). Chap e 4 d aws conclusions
and o e s u he conside a ions.
Me hodological app oach o unde s anding a ionales o educa ion
o economic ci izenship
The a icle akes a his o ical app oach o unde s and he changing and deba ed a ionales o edu-
ca ion o economic ci izenship. Resea ch on he his o y o economics educa ion claims ha
school-based o ms o a mo al economic educa ion we e es ablished long be o e a subjec dedi-
ca ed speci ically o economics eme ged in compulso y schooling (Coninck, 2012; Maß, 2018;
Osbo ne, 2014). Economic educa ion has o en been in luenced by ac o s ou side he o mal
school sys em. The e o e, his a icle will no in es iga e economic ci izenship wi h a pa icula
ocus on he o icial cu iculum (e.g. by means o eaching ma e ials o cu iculum analysis).
Ins ead, i is guided by he assump ion ha ou dealings wi h economic issues shape ou social
ela ions (Ga on, 2012; Maß, 2020; Meye , 2015; O , 2011) and, hus, we ind speci ic a ionales
o economic ci izenship in he educa ion o e e yday economic in e ac ions. This pape explo es
i s esea ch ques ion wi h a his o ical case s udy o a p i a e in e na ional ac o . This is a case o
a p i a e in e es g oup ha has always s epped up i s ac i i ies in economic educa ion in imes o
c isis h oughou he cen u y.
The e o e, he a icle will use he pe spec i e o an in e na ional banke associa ion—and, in
some cases, hei na ional sub-associa ions—whose ac i i ies can be obse ed a di e en poli i-
cal le els, om he local o he in e na ional, an app oach ha has p o en o be e y ui ul in
ecen yea s, pa icula ly o he his o y o educa ion (Ho s e e , 2022; So ensen e al., 2021).
Since he in e na ional associa ion unde s udy has a e y he e ogeneous hema ic ocus depend-
ing on he pe iod and geog aphical scope, he analysis will be ocused closely on he hema ic
p io i ies o he associa ion unde s udy. This allows o a co esponding s uc u ing o his o ical
analysis and a co esponding selec ion o ac i i ies wi hin his in e na ional associa ion, in line
wi h cu en deba es on he ole o economic educa ion and ci izenship educa ion in imes o
c isis and change.
The e o e, his a icle aces he his o y o he ITI, a global banking associa ion ha has de ined
i sel as an educa ional ac o e e since i s ounda ion and ha has been a hub o he ci cula ion
o inancial knowledge.1 I ake obse a ions ac oss dis inc his o ical pe iods o change and
Ruoss 5
c isis— he ounding o he ins i u e in a ascis con ex , i s econs uc ion in he pos -wa pe iod
and i s i s pos -colonial ac i i ies— o desc ibe he de elopmen o di e en a ionales o eco-
nomic ci izenship om he pe spec i e o his ac o .
Fo his eason, he a icle is based on ex ensi e a chi al esea ch a he ITI and i s legal suc-
cesso , he Wo ld Sa ings and Re ail Banking Ins i u e (WSBI) in B ussels. The a chi e o his
p i a e associa ion is well main ained despi e se e al mo es and ins i u ional uphea als.2 In addi-
ion o he documen a ion o he in-house jou nals (especially Wo ld Th i ) and a ious in e na-
ional cong esses, he minu es and iles o he speci ic commission on sa ings educa ion and
you h policy ac i i ies a e documen ed. To close gaps, o examine local implemen a ion o he
s a egies o his in e na ional ac o and o c oss-check he in o ma ion om he pe spec i e o he
ITI sou ces, he a chi es o a ious ( o me ) na ional membe s, p ima ily he a chi es o he
Ge man DSGV in Bonn we e consul ed.
Wi h a esea ch pe spec i e ha oscilla es be ween di e en imes and places, I will show how
sa ings banks eached ‘beyond hei coun e ’ (ITI, 2.6.3. USA/108, Ree es, 1927) by unde s and-
ing hemsel es as inhe en ly educa ional o ganiza ions. A guing wi h Sobe and Kowalczyk (2013),
he con ex s unde s udy he e a e no gi en as ac s bu eme ge a h ee momen s as h ee local
ocal poin s o he ITI’s in e na ional ocus. ‘Seeing’ h ough his o ganiza ion’s lens (So ensen
e al., 2021) sha pens ou iew o he a ionales o i s s a egies and economic ci izenship no ms.
The h ee pe iods unde analysis in he de elopmen o hese ac o s can hus be unde s ood as a
kind o mic oscopic case s udy wi hin he ‘case’ o he ITI. I c ea es, inspi ed by Re el’s (1996)
concep o jeux d’échelles, dep h o ocus, con ex ual ele ance and speci ici y o a i e a mo e
gene al conclusions o he obse ed banke associa ion in he sense o a comp ehensi e case
s udy. A case s udy ha —also in he pe cep ion o he ac o s examined— e ol e a ound h ee
phases o c isis and socie al change. In some cases, no only is he ITI as an umb ella o ganisa ion
examined in de ail, bu he ac i i ies o na ional associa ions ele an o he case s udies a e also
included. This again equi es a selec ion based on he signi icance o hese associa ions o he
de elopmen o he ITI umb ella o ganisa ion wi hin he pe iods unde s udy.
We will see ha o i s ounding in he 1920s, he con ex o ea ly ascis I aly was o pa icula
impo ance. Fo he new o ma ion a e he Second Wo ld Wa , de elopmen s in Ge many we e
essen ial and, since he 1960s, he global opening o he ITI has been accompanied by a e y local
de elopmen aid policy in Zambia. The pe iods and places unde analysis a e he e o e as close as
possible o he o ganisa ion unde analysis i sel . F om i s ounda ion in 1924 un il i s peak ac i i-
ies in he la e 1960s, he ITI showed h ee hema ic ocuses in i s educa ional ac i i ies in h ee
pe iods: di ec measu es in schools, cu iculum de elopmen in coope a ion wi h scien i ic ac o s
and in as uc u e de elopmen in pos -colonial con ex s (Ruoss, 2020). The a icle will ace he
en anglemen o educa ion, ci izenship, and banking in hese h ee pe iods.
Sa ings banks as educa ional ac o s: con ingen a ionales
in di e ing con ex s
Be o e (sa ings) banks could become ac i e ‘beyond he coun e ’, he coun e s had o be ins alled
in he i s place. The es ablishmen o sa ings banks om he ea ly 19 h cen u y onwa d, mainly
h ough philan h opy, was essen ially an ac wi h an educa ional aim. P o agonis s a gued ha a
s abiliza ion o exis ing economic o de s could be achie ed h ough he inancial inclusion o he
wo king class. I was hoped ha he wo king class’s inclusion in he banking sys em would comba
calls o public social secu i y and he s eng hening o labou mo emen s (Maß, 2018). The a ion-
ale o his kind o educa ion was socializa ion wi h he aim o s eng hening social cohesion.
The ci izen ha should be educa ed in his con ex was conscien ious and obedien . Schools, wi h
6 Eu opean Educa ional Resea ch Jou nal 00(0)
he suppo o sa ings banks, became a majo ac o in he i s pe iod o he ‘bankiza ion’ o
indus ial socie ies. Pa en s we e o come in o ini ial con ac wi h bank coun e s h ough hei
child en and hei schools (Ruoss, 2018); child en we e employed he e as ca ie s o knowledge
in o b oade socie y.
Founda ion o he ITI: educa ion, economics and ci izenship in imes o clashes
The ITI was ounded in esponse o a c isis—a c isis o us in he economic o de ollowing he
hype in la ion in he ea ly 1920s. Sa ings banks om 28 coun ies (mainly om Eu ope and he
Ame icas bu also om Japan and Aus alia) we e ep esen ed a he ounding cong ess as he i s
In e na ional Th i Cong ess in Milan.3 The cen al aim, howe e , was o educa e he young o
become good sa e s, s akeholde s o socie y and inancially independen ci izens, which was ea -
i med a he ollowing cong esses (ITI, N . 73, 1929). The ideal o he economic ci izen as consci-
en ious, h i y and a he same ime inancially independen —and hus also independen o s a e o
social suppo —was ins i u ionalized in he o m o he ITI in he sense o a lowes common
denomina o .
On he no ion o ci izenship, he ounding con ex o he ITI in he in e wa pe iod is o in e es ,
and i depended on he con ex s and needs o indi idual membe s. I we look a he si ua ion o he
hos coun y, I aly, his becomes e iden . The impo ance o his cong ess akes on wo o ms o
he I alian associa ion. On he one hand, he d i ing o ce behind his p omo ion o he cen ena y
o a local bank was an I alian a emp o no malize i s ascis policy4 by s abilizing i s o eign ela-
ions. On he o he hand, he main eason o Eu opean sa ings banke s o join he cong ess was
he gene al c isis in sa ings caused by hype in la ion in he pos -wa pe iod.
A epo by economis and Vice-P esiden o he Sa ings Bank in Lugo, Achille Balla dini, o
he I alian Sa ings Banks on he i s In e na ional Th i Cong ess, call o a join educa ional p o-
g amme a e insigh ul (ITI, N . 73, 1929: 705–725). Balla dini p esen ed a h ee-phased model o
economic educa ion. The i s phase included eaching gene al and mo al p inciples o h i and
p o idence (‘mo al p opaganda’). The second phase was called ‘economic educa ion’ and was
ocused on echnical economic ins umen s (in es men p oduc s, in e es , e c.). Howe e , Balla dini
claimed ha imp o ed knowledge abou inancial ins umen s alone could no an icipa e o sol e
c ises. He also el ha his echnical knowledge could be used o ‘blind specula ion’, which he
de ined as a h ea o socie y (ITI, N . 73, 1929: 713). The e o e, he p oposed a hi d phase o sol e
his dilemma, which was o each ‘capi alis ic educa ion . . . as he ins uc ion and p epa a ion o he
sa e , who g adually ans o ms himsel in o a capi alis ’ (ITI, N . 73, 1929: 713). To con ey hese
h ee s eps o economic knowledge o socie y, sa ings banks should be ‘ ans o ming hemsel es
in o e icien schools o capi alis ic economy’ (ITI, N . 73, 1929: 715). Balla dini concluded ha
‘capi alis ic educa ion’ wen beyond s i ing emo ions (phase 1) and echnical knowledge (phase 2).
I was abou making ‘capi alis ic expe ience, . . ., eac ing agains he equi ocal p opaganda o he
many agen s o dishones y and specula ion, coope a ing, in sho , o limi he numbe o he many
ic ims o igno ance and inconside a ion and o di ec he people owa ds highe e hics’ (ITI, N . 73,
1929: 724 .). I was no o be co up ed by capi alism h ough he help o (only local o na ional)
in es men s in a sa ings bank. In sho , i was no o educa e he you h o a libe al ma ke socie y
bu o aise small capi alis s in he di ec ion o economic beha iou oo ed in a na ionalis ic spi i
( hough exclusi e and illibe al).5 This p og amme was explici ly mean o suppo indeb ed amilies
in dealing wi h he consequences o he c isis, bu i was also in ended o ini ia e a ‘ci iliza ional
mission’ and, in his unde s anding, ‘e hical’ change in he poli ical economy.
This concep o ‘capi alis ic educa ion’ mi o ed a c i ique o capi alism common in he sa ings
mo emen o he ime: ‘Capi alis ic educa ion’ was no necessa ily mean o educa e people o li e
Ruoss 7
in a libe al ma ke socie y. I becomes e iden ha some impo an commonali ies in economic
educa ion eme ged ha anscended exis ing sys em bounda ies, as di e en na ional associa ions
ag eed o main ain in e na ional collabo a ion despi e sys em con lic s. The o m o ‘e hics’ p opa-
ga ed he e is closely ela ed o a ionales o ci izenship which a e social-cohesi e in a na ionalis ic
way and ans o ma ional so as o each a u u e, socie al goal by means o economic educa ion.
Re e ing S ille ’s (2018) concep o a ‘ ölkisch capi alism’, his a ionale o ci izenship educa ion
may be unde s ood as ans o ma ional in he di ec ion o a ölkisch [na ional-e hnic] cohesion.
Only a ew yea s passed be ween he ounding o he ITI and he nex majo economic c isis. The
hi d In e na ional Th i Cong ess, held in Pa is in 1935, was signi ican ly impac ed by he G ea
Dep ession. The p ima y esolu ion adop ed by he Cong ess emphasised ha , especially ‘in ou-
bled imes such as hese we a e going h ough a p esen , he p inciples o h i and sa ing mus be
deeply oo ed in he minds o he new gene a ions as a undamen al ac o o all no mal li e.’ (ITI,
N . 74, 1935: 180). The ‘impo ance o sys ema ic sa ing’ and he ole o con inced eache s in his
ega d was dis inc ly amed as a ‘na ional i ue’ (ITI, N . 74, 1935: 1216). F om he ITI’s pe spec-
i e, he challenges o educa ing ci izens he e o e came less om na ionalis o ces han om
economic heo y. An in e nal ITI memo andum in 1938 ook explici aim a Keynes’s ‘Gene al
Theo y’, desc ibing i as anks among he an i- h i heo ies’ (ITI, N . 101, 1938: 1). They he e o e
c i icize expansiona y mone a y policy. A coun e cyclical economic policy, in hei iew, unde mine
he mo al and economic case o disciplined sa ing. Ins ead, he sa ings banks insis ha capi al
accumula ion depends on p io sa ings and obus mone a y discipline.
The in e na ional ins i u ionaliza ion o he sa ings bank sys em wi hin IT was based on a com-
mon consensus and sough o supp ess possible con lic despi e o ganiza ional and sys emic he -
e ogenei y o i s membe s. The economic ci izen was o suppo and sus ain he poli ical-economic
sys em as an aim independen o he sys em i sel . Howe e , he aims o he implici ideas o
ci izenship educa ion con lic ed depending on con ex and ime. On he one hand, hey clea ly
exhibi ed aspec s o social cohesion. The ocus on lea ning abou economics in conjunc ion wi h
he acquisi ion o ‘mo al p inciples o h i and p o idence’ should ce ainly ha e had a socially
s abilizing e ec in imes o economic c ises. The no maliza ion o I alian ascism ia e hically and
educa ionally shaped economic discou ses is he mos s iking example o he consensual s eng h
o he economic ci izen. On he o he hand, he p og amme clea ly demons a ed a ans o ma-
ional aim wi h ega d o he ideals o ci izenship educa ion. The idea o ‘capi alis ic educa ion’ as
a combina ion o expe ience in ac i e inancial pa icipa ion in he local economy and a ‘ci iliza-
ional mission’ poin s o he aim o a (na ionalis and e hnic) ans o ma ion o socie y h ough he
economic beha iou o ci izens, which was o be p omo ed h ough economic educa ion. This goal
gained addi ional momen um wi h he G ea Dep ession and he eme gence o new economic heo-
ies. The educa ion o he economic ci izen hus ook on new ele ance. The aim was no longe
simply o educa e indi idually esponsible sa e s, bu ci izens who would d aw conclusions abou
he s a e om hei own beha iou —and u ge i o exe cise mone a y discipline.
Re- hinking he ci izen o he economic boom
Immedia ely a e he wa he ITI amed h i as a ‘p e-condi ion o las ing peace’, asse ing
ha i mus ‘pu sa ing in he place i is en i led o, side by side wi h labou ’ (ITI, Lib a y,
1946: 4). This slogan e eals—once again— he o ganisa ion’s ongoing belie ha disciplined
sa ing a he han expansi e consump ion would secu e bo h economic econs uc ion and social
s abili y. Th i has been eac i a ed in i s s a us as a mo al p inciple. The ITI posi ioned economic
sel - es ain as a ci ic du y, capable o anscending poli ical di ides and ebuilding us in
ins i u ions.
8 Eu opean Educa ional Resea ch Jou nal 00(0)
In 1947/48, he ITI was eassembled, bu only by a small numbe o membe s. The mos commi -
ed o e-es ablishmen o he ITI was he Ge man Sa ings and Re ail Banks Associa ion (DSGV).
The spo ligh on he DSGV is in e es ing in ha , on he one hand, his na ional associa ion was
pa icula ly ele an o he esump ion o ITI as umb ella o ganisa ion's you h policy mission and,
on he o he hand, i had o deal wi h a undamen al c isis o legi imacy a e he wa and i s in ol e-
men in Na ional Socialism (Ruoss, 2020). The DSGV was engaged in dealing wi h he o e all
poli ical c isis and he c ea ion o new ci izenship no ms. This can be seen, o example, in he ac ,
ha a he DSGV’s Wo ld Sa ings Day ce emony in 1952, he i s Ge man ede al p esiden ,
Theodo Heuss (1952: 11), ga e a speech a guing ha ‘people who sa e wan o be ee’. Capi al
o ma ion was no a inal goal bu ins ead sough o p o ide ‘educa ion o economical, h i y peo-
ple’ (ITI, 1952: VII). The DSGV’s concep ion o ci izenship ne e heless emained cul u ally con-
se a i e. Dual-ea ne couples and ea ly ma iages we e axed by cong ess o ganize Rudol Heindel
as he epi ome o ma e ialism (ITI, N . 537, 1964, 3/4). No leas , he DSGV p o ided a pla o m o
sa ings educa ion ideas om o me Na ional Socialis s such as he you h book au ho Lydia Knop-
Ka h (1963a, 1963b) o he o me p o esso o special needs educa ion and ec o a he Pedagogical
Ins i u e in Ka ls uhe Jose Spiele (1957). Heindel (1932) himsel had also p e iously published
wo ks on Na ional Socialis economic heo y.
The one o he DSGV’s publica ions emained ocused on h i y economic ci izens as he
backbone o he new poli ical o de . Whils he 1959 con e ence on sa ings educa ion in F ank u
a. M. concen a ed on he e olu ion o a ma ke economy ha ega ded educa ion as he co ne -
s one o economic ad ancemen , i also in oked a neo-classical opos wi h he economic p inciple
o u ili y maximisa ion. I is e iden ha Keynesian coun e -na a i es a e absen om he deba e.
Ins ead, an (o do-)libe al o m o mo alising consump ion and deb domina es (ITI, Lib a y, 1959).
Wha we see he e is a modi ica ion o he a ionales o ci izenship educa ion, aimed exclusi ely a
social cohesion and a o m o socialisa ion o a conscien ious and obedien ci izen. Basically, we
see a con inui y o educa ional ac i i ies wi h mo e conse a i e goals o economic educa ion.
The na ionally cohesi e and ans o ma ional a ionales o ci izenship educa ion we e o e w i en
by ea lie o ms o social cohesion.
F om his pe spec i e o he Ge man associa ion, we can in u n ake a look a he discussions
a he ITI le el. As keyno e speake a he ITI’s In e na ional Sa ings Banks Cong ess in Vienna in
1963, economis F ied ich on Hayek was in i ed o alk abou he impo ance o economic educa-
ion and indi idual expe ience wi h capi al o s abilize capi alis economies (ITI, N . 76, 1963). The
en husias ic welcome o a neolibe al apologis a one o he mos impo an global ga he ings o
sa ings and economic educa o s is emblema ic o educa ional a emp s o mould ‘consume ci i-
zens’ since he 1960s. The de elopmen o he consume ci izen igu e was closely ela ed o he
asse ion o economic heo ies, which, in u n, unde s ood knowledge as capi al. E en Rudol
Heindel published an essay en i led ‘In es men clubs o young people’ in 1970 (DSGV, Spa kassen
We bediens , 1970/7). In ellec ually, his in e p e a ion o he pe iod o ‘emancipa ion’ o he ci i-
zen om he poli ical in he economy and he educ ion o economic ac o s o ‘good’ consume s
was accompanied by o he e e ences (Ange , 1982). As a cen al mode o lea ning by economics,
he expe ience o dealing wi h capi al is placed a he cen e. Expe iences in you h in es men
clubs a e in u n o ien ed owa ds unde lying a i udes ega ding he a ionales o ci izenship.
Social in eg a ion should hus be possible p ima ily h ough economic success a he han h ough
na u aliza ion, which needs o be con ex ualized wi hin he ising mass consume socie ies. The
s uc u ally conse a i e elemen emained in he new guise o economic educa ion as consume
educa ion, e en hough he sel -po ayal e e ed o an emancipa o y phase. The dange o mass
consume ism needed economic educa ion as a coun e balance ha should be achie ed no only
h ough mo al appeals bu also by lea ning how o manage money and consume sensibly.
Ruoss 9
In summa y, in he i s pos -wa decade, a consensus again p e ailed ha sa ings educa ion
should p ima ily con ibu e o sys em s abiliza ion and social cohesion. Howe e , he aims o
ci izenship educa ion we e no always consensual bu in ol ed con lic . The e was a con lic o
alues, pa icula ly conce ning he amily and he economic s a us o i s membe s. A consensus
eme ged in he 1970s unde he p essu e o s onge ma ke iza ion o he sa ings banks. He e,
he o mal a gumen a ion o adi ional su iciency also led o he p omo ion o he economic
ci izen as indi idually esponsible o i s consume, and a he same ime, his a gumen was also
used o jus i y gene al de egula ion and a s onge cus ome ocus on he pa o he sa ings
banks hemsel es.
Old ecipes o a pos -colonial con ex
In sp ing 1968, ollowing a pledge om he Uni ed Na ions (UN) Economic Commission o
A ica (ECA), Milan p o esso o economy and consul an wi h ITI A naldo Mau i, and he depu y
di ec o o he ITI in Ams e dam, Johann G. Wallis de V ies, wen on wha hey called a ‘scou ing
expedi ion’ o a numbe o eas A ican coun ies (ITI, N . 136, 37, Sep. 1968). Thei decla ed aim
was o look ou o ‘app op ia e’ coun ies in A ica o p omo e hei ideas abou he economy and
economic educa ion (ITI, N . 136, 35, 1967). This aim p esupposed ha i was possible o gene a e
decla a ions o in en om ac o s in A ican coun ies, suppo om o he in e na ional o ganiza-
ions and commi men om hei own ins i u es. This happened om he la e 1960s, when non-
Eu opean membe s s a ed o demand mo e pa icipa ion wi hin he ITI. Fo example, a i s sea
on he ITI boa d o adminis a ion o a delega e o an A ican membe was c ea ed in 1969. Wha
happened in his con ex was he beginning o he ITI’s ac i e in ol emen in he de elopmen aid
policies o la ge in e na ional o ganiza ions. The ITI and he na ional associa ions became playe s
in he pos -colonial powe s uggle. The a icle’s ocus o his hi d pe iod is he e o e on he sub-
jec a ea ha s ongly d o e he ITI’s educa ional ac i i ies in hese yea s.
The ITI deli e ed echnical aining o banking s a bu wen beyond his by making educa-
ional e o s o change popula ion beha iou s and pe cep ions o he economy. Mau i’s memo an-
dum (ITI 2.5.3. I/ACRI/0014, Mau i, 1969) was clea in his espec : as i was ‘no always easy o
make a adical change in adul habi s and beha iou ’, h i should be p omo ed among he young
and he ‘main e o should be made in schools’. Wi h bo h in e nal and ex e nal claims o a
s onge ocus on A ica and due o a gumen s o ma ke compe i ion, al eady in 1967 he
In e na ional Sa ings Resea ch and Ope a ing P og am was p oposed. The p og amme p oposed
o he ITI Na ional Associa ions Commi ee con ained ou s eps: (1) an ITI delega ion ba gains
wi h na ional minis ies in A ican coun ies; (2) ITI expe s de elop he p ac ical pa
o he plan; (3) employees in A ican ins i u ions a e ained in Eu ope o he Uni ed S a es; and
(4) ITI expe s s ay and con ol he de elopmen o he i s wo yea s (ITI, N . 215, 1967).
Mau i and Wallis de V ies’ ‘scou ing expedi ion’ was only he i s o such isi s and was ol-
lowed up in ea ly 1969. Thei esul s we e p esen ed a he UN ECA Mee ing on Technical and
Social P oblems o U baniza ion in Addis Ababa. Two consequences can be highligh ed. Fi s , he
ITI en e ed he wo ld o he UN, and he Uni ed Na ions De elopmen P og amme (UNDP) s a ed
o inance he ITI wi h i s echnical assis ance se ice in A ica. Second, he ITI closed i s anks
owa ds de elopmen coope a ion policy, es ablishing i s own commi ee on de elopmen aid. This
happened agains an olde engagemen in colonial banking and a hesi an policy du ing he i s
pos -colonial decade. I was mo e han jus lip se ice, as he ITI decided o mo e i s headqua e s
om Ams e dam o Gene a, which was conside ed essen ial ‘in his day and age, i he Ins i u e is
o play a ull pa in in e na ional a ai s’ (ITI, N . 136, 1969, appendix o he minu es). A e he
p esen a ion o i s epo s in Addis Ababa, Zambia was chosen as a ‘good es case’ o sa ings
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Au ho biog aphy
Thomas Ruoss is a senio esea che and head o he s udy p og am o he BSc in Voca ional Educa ion and
T aining a he Swiss Fede al Uni e si y o Voca ional Educa ion and T aining (SFUVET). His esea ch
in e es s include he his o y and poli ics o educa ion, as well as oca ional educa ion and aining and eco-
nomic educa ion.
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