Proceed with Passion

Chapter Three: Meaning in Social Studies

29 Chapter Three Meaning in Social Studies No man is an Island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main; if a clod were washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor Of thy friends or of thine own were; any man’s death diminishes me, Because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for Whom the bells tolls’ It tolls for thee. — John Donne, Meditation XVII What’s the use of being timid? Why not reach out to the scruffy grassroots . . . Life is so short. Why waste it just standing by? — Ruth Conniff Most likely we all remember pieces of our elementary school Social Studies classes: making paper Indian chief headdresses, cutting out models of the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria, building mini-pyramids and the like. Our memories are usually connected with a sort of hot-chocolate sense of nostalgia. Social Studies classes, in theory, are designed to acquaint children with diverse peoples and cultures, to imbue them with a sense of respect for differences. In reality, I believe the quaint process dilutes, distorts and even disregards the more crucial elements of the subject.Too often the Columbus “discovery” myth overshadows the lesser-known history of the natives who already lived upon the land. The building of the pyramids usually focuses upon architectural achievement rather than the misery, slavery, and mass death imposed upon the workers. The result is that real, underlying stories that remain untold are lost opportunities for engaging young people in discussions about fairness, justice, slavery, dictatorship, and imperialism, as well as exploitation. I do not believe in depressing children in telling only horror stories from the past. I do, however, believe that young people are quickly interested by issues of substance. They generally want to know the truth, Proceed with Passion 30 what the deeper issues were, and what relevance these stories have to the modern world. They are curious about historical events. The story of Columbus is a truly amazing story of navigation; it is also a devastating story of greed and racism. To neglect the latter is to deprive students of the potential for discovery. Racism and imperialism is an old story — a story that has continued into the 20th and 21st centuries. Social Studies is a subject where meaningful dialogue and debate should take place. Such dialogues would not only absorb students, but would make them more respectful of their teachers and classmates who think clearly.Teens often perceive school as just another adult establishment designed to keep things unchanged. Schools are usually not progressive forces for reform; too often they are obdurate agents of the status quo. For many young people today, however, the status quo is bankrupt. They find school boring. Society seems to offer little beyond materialistic consumerism — the shopping mall as Mecca. Schools do little to combat this empty message. Schools should have three essential values at their core: a respect for diversity; a desire for social justice; and a commitment to preserving the earth’s environment. The combination of these three would give teachers and students and, in fact, all of us, what we hunger for most deeply: a sense of purpose and definition in our lives. All three values are so inextricably linked that adhering to them or neglecting them may lead to survival or destruction. By highlighting these standards, teachers would impart to young people a sense that schools are not just passive purveyors of the mundane, but are participants in intelligent growth and sustainability. Voters stay home when the elections seem fruitless; similarly, many students don’t attend school and even drop out when classes appear to be of no consequence. We must put substance into the educational process. If Social Studies were to take a new tack, what might it look like? Here is a sample list of topics/courses: 1. The fate of indigenous peoples in the 20th and into the 21st century: imperialism and homogenization and extinction; 2. The Holocaust in Europe; 31 3. The population explosion; 4. Confronting our “past sins” — nations and their shadows; 5. Global economics: the growing disparities of wealth; 6. World poverty and hunger; 7. The role of social welfare in the USA today; 8. Economic growth and environmental degradation; 9. Racism: past and present; 10. Children...