November 9, 1979

NEW SOLIDARITY Page 7

Education for Citizens: History Turned Into Social Science

HOW HISTORY TURNED INTO SOCIA STUDIES !y Cornelia Reynolds

Are t"ese #ra$$ar sc"ool c"ildren !ein# tau#"t t"e A$erican Syste$ in t"eir social studies course%

In a recent surve !n a "!g"# rate$ suburban sc"oo# $!str!ct, 7% &er cent o' "!g" sc"oo# sen!ors res&on$e$ to a mu#t!&#e c"o!ce (uest!on b !$ent!' !ng A#e)an$er *am!#ton, t"e '!rst secretar o' t"e +,S, Treasur , as a Pres!$ent o' t"e +n!te$ States, T"!rt '!ve &ercent !$ent!'!e$ -eorge Was"!ngton as Pres!$ent $ur!ng t"e .!v!# War an$ /% &ercent sa!$ T"eo$ore Rooseve#t 0as Pres!$ent $ur!ng Wor#$ War II, T"e accurac o' t"!s surve can be ver!'!e$ b ta#1!ng to v!rtua## an Amer!can "!g" sc"oo# stu$ent, It 0!## (u!c1# become obv!ous to ou t"at 0!t"out t"e ass!stance o' mu#t!&#e2c"o!ce o&t!ons t"e resu#ts o' t"at test

0ou#$ "ave been 'ar 0orse, T"e rea#!t !s t"at "!stor !s no #onger be!ng taug"t !n our sc"oo#s, It !s not on# t"e stu$ents 0"o are !gnorant, but t"e teac"ers as 0e##, Recent# a stu$ent !n t"e Ne0 Yor1 &ub#!c sc"oo# s stem to#$ t"e 'o##o0!ng stor 0"!c" !nvo#ves bot" "!stor an$ #!terature3 A teac"er gave an ass!gnment to t"e c#ass to rea$ a boo1 b a 'amous aut"or, T0o 0ee1s #ater t"e teac"er as1e$ t"e stu$ents 0"at aut"or t"e "a$ c"osen, 4ost o' t"e stu$ents 0ere rea$!ng boo1s b t"e #!1es o' Ste!nbec1, *em!ng0a , an$ 5ac1 Lon$on, W"en one stu$ent ans0ere$ s"e 0as rea$!ng The Odyssey, t"e teac"er re&#!e$3 6The Odyssey7 W"o 0rote t"at76 T"e stu$ent ans0ere$ t"at *omer 0as t"e aut"or, to 0"!c" t"e teac"er sa!$ 0!t" anno ance, 68ut I to#$ ou to rea$ a boo1 b a 'amous aut"or96 T"e Creation of &Social Studies& T"e roots o' t"!s stor #!e !n a /%2 ear2o#$ e''ort to re&#ace t"e ser!ous stu$ o' "!stor 0!t" #!bera# $octr!nes 'rom soc!o#og an$ ant"ro&o#og , T"at e''ort began 0!t" t"e creat!on o' t"e so2ca##e$ 6soc!a# stu$!es6 course, :e0 Amer!cans remember no0 t"at be'ore t"e 19;%s, "!stor , geogra&" , an$ c!v!cs 0ere taug"t as se&arate sub<ects, T"e 'us!ng o' t"ese !nto soc!a# stu$!es not on# $!m!n!s"e$ t"e $e&t" o' "!stor!ca# !n'ormat!on but b#urre$ an e)&ress!on o' a co"erent un$erstan$!ng o' our "!stor , Instea$ o' teac"2 !ng t"e conce&ts o' #a0 an$ econom!cs on 0"!c" our countr 0as bu!#t, t"e soc!a# stu$!es course teac"es t"at ever countr =s "!stor an$ s stem o' government "as e(ua# mora# an$ soc!a# va#ue, T"e conce&t o' suc" a course or!g!nate$ 0!t" t"e 19>? .omm!ss!on o' t"e Soc!a# Stu$!es create$ b t"e Amer!can *!stor!ca# Assoc!at!on an$ 'un$e$ b t"e .arneg!e .or&orat!on, T"e '!na# re&ort o' t"at comm!ss!on 0as 0r!tten b ."ar#es 8ear$, t"e 8r!t!s" tra!ne$ 'oun$er o' t"e rev!s!on!st sc"oo# o' Amer!can "!stor , 'eard&s ies 8ear$=s Economic Interpretation of the Constitution un$erm!ne$ t"e aut"or2 !t o' t"e const!tut!on b &ortra !ng !t as t"e &ro$uct o' se#'!s" econom!c !nterests rat"er t"an t"e #ast!ng contr!but!on o' our 'oun$!ng 'at"ers, :rom t"at, 8ear$ &resente$ a 'rau$u#ent &!cture o' Amer!can soc!et us!ng &seu$o2

sc!ent!'!c soc!o#og!ca# categor!es to &ortra t"e nat!on as $!v!$e$ 'rom !ts !nce&t!on on t"e bas!s o' c#ass, race, an$ sect!ona# $!''erences, T"e comm!ss!ons re&ort an$ severa# boo1s b 8ear$=s assoc!ates o&en# ca##e$ 'or us!ng a ne0 soc!a# sc!ence course, base$ on rev!s!on!st conce&ts o' "!stor an$ #a0, as t"e ve"!c#e 'or !n$octr!nat!on o' our nat!on=s out" !n ant!re&ub#!can !$eas to create a ne0 6co##ect!v!st6 soc!a# or$er, T"e !nten$e$ e''ect 0as $escr!be$ as a b#oo$#ess revo#ut!on b e$ucat!on, 8 t"e 19@%s / m!##!on stu$ents 0ere ta1!ng courses mo$e#e$ on t"!s &ro&osa#, 8 t"e 19/%s, soc!a# stu$!es "as re&#ace$ "!stor an$ geogra&" !n t"e e#ementar sc"oo#s, an$ 0as !ncreas!ng# 'oun$ !n t"e "!g" sc"oo#s, In t"e 19?%s rea# "!stor 0as e#!m!nate$ a#toget"er as a re(u!re$ course, 6Re#evant,6 6consc!ousness ra!s!ng6 e#ect!ves suc" as 6Women=s Stu$!es,6 68#ac1 Stu$!es,6 an$ 6Surv!va# .onsc!ousness6 became common&#ace, To$a , <un!or "!g" sc"oo# soc!a# stu$!es courses o&en# $ebate t"e mora#!t o' cann!ba#!sm an$ "omose)ua#!t , Wor#$ "!stor !s "ar$# to be 'oun$, an$ Amer!ca=s "!stor !s &resente$ as 6T"e *!stor o' Soc!a# In<ust!ce,6 T"e 'uture o' our nat!on 0!## be bu!#t on t"e stu$ o' !ts &ast, As #ong as even a "an$'u# o' stu$ents can be 'oun$ 0"o $o not 1no0 -eorge Was"!ng2 ton 'rom Abra"am L!nco#n, t"e 0or$ 6stu$!es6 0"atever ot"er a&&e##at!on goes 0!t" !t, 0!## be not"!ng but a travest ,