Remembering 9/11: Group Culture of Education

This thesis explores selected sources from the “September 11th, 2001, Documentary Project” held by the Library of Congress to conclude how the group culture of education responded to 9/11. The individuals chosen are interviews with school children, high school students, university students, teachers, and professors, alongside drawings from elementary school children. The interviews and drawings are all in response to the September 11th, 2001, terror attacks and provide an analysis into how the group culture of education responded to 9/11. One can see different forms of responses throughout the differing age groups. Within nursery schoolchildren it can be demonstrated that the children needed to react in a physical way through their play in order to process the event. From the ages of elementary school to high school the students show strong feelings of patriotism within their reactions; this is expected due to the American school system. Throughout the reactions of university students, schoolteachers and professors, patriotism can also be seen as well as trauma theories and the overlap of group cultures at a matured age. The most common theme throughout this thesis is a patriotic reaction in response to 9/11. Therefore, this thesis can demonstrate how the education system enforced patriotism at different age groups, as well as exploring trauma theory, art therapy, and racism in the aftermath of 9/11 as revealed through the group culture of education