Placing American education in a worldwide context! This work is based on the premise that we live in two realities: the reality of a nation-state and the reality of a global society inhabiting a common planet. The author contends that the tensions between these two realities play a significant role in shaping educational policy in the United States and other nations. By placing American education in a worldwide context, Gutek can explore the changing perspectives in international education, how Americans view their international role historically, and the challenges faced by developed and developing nations. He also features a section on how different nations—the United Kingdom, Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, Mexico, Japan, China, and Nigeria—educate students for their own distinct version of national identity and citizenship.