Friday, October 12, 2012

The cultural Politics Of Textbooks

In the U. S., primary and lesser textbooks, curriculum standards set by the states themselves, there is no public standard, but Texas is a big state, there are five million middle school students, the students prepared for the Texas textbook wholly much to other states effects. Standard textbooks in Texas to re - evaluate once every ten years. In this evaluation, elected by the State Board of Education voted in Pace by modifying the resolution, the effect to the public, public tete-a-tete, and and so and in May for a final vote of 10 to 5 vote for final treatment. Critics say the change is not historical, social, and economic experts, is entirely a product of conservative ideology. But the foothold person insisted that the revised submission is public slant, not expert will, and so solitary the weight out of college lonely.

Texas textbook parade, bear the brunt of the history of the U. S. schools do not have specific political class, the basic political concepts are taught in history class, " the Constitution " and " government " that the history of political content is part of the tutorial. Course content changes of history ' s most notable about Jefferson, he is a " Resolution of Independence, " the authors insist on the principle of secularism. Modify the resolution calls for teaching students to show that America ' s founding fathers may not be the church ( Christian ) and country ( United States ) separation of intent, since the Constitution did not distinctly red-letter. Modify the resolution also called for world history courses to drain the list of Enlightenment Jefferson, and set right to the students of Christian attention to the founding of the United States.

though the Texas textbook changes led by the conservatives, but not as completely conservative forces Much Ado About Nothing. Pluralistic democracy in the United States, the collective identity of " who we are " is full of contradictions, full of fight, keep the change in the identity building process. In this process, different people will continue to be covered to some, ignored the fact that the introduction of the public ' s view of history, and thus to correct the common history of the United States.

Let the facts speak, is in itself a tradition of American historical writing. Although the material changes from the standpoint of political conservatism, but still in compliance with this basic tradition. For example, it advocates, in the 1960s to introduce students to the black civil rights movement, not only involves such as Martin Luther King advocates non - violence, but also as involving as the Black Panther Party who advocate violence. The history books generally available to the civil rights movement and the Democratic Party - especially President Kennedy and President Johnson together, and teaching students to modify the requirement to show that civil rights bill in Congress to vote, the Republican Party is also supported.

Modify the existing textbook materials involves a number of incomplete facts, for example, the U. S. government during World War II, Japanese citizens detained in concentration of residence, which is used as an example of racial discrimination. However, in fact, forced detention of German and Italian are hostile to U. S. citizens. Another example, the existing " McCarthyism " content during the Cold War the United States gives people a non - rational impression of political persecution. Changes required to introduce students to the textbook, " Winona File ". These documents include the Soviet spies in the United States and approximately 3, 000 communications between the written records, can help students understand the true history of the Cold War.

Not just historical, economic and social education curriculum, there are many changes. For example, in the course of the economy to increase the content of Friedman and Hayek, the two theories are the master of the free market economy, but will also keep the original on Adam Smith, Marx and Keynes content. As the " capitalism " has become the " greedy " synonymous with a " bad word " material changes required to " free - enterprise system, " saying instead of " capitalism. " Another example, social education requirements emphasize their own life choices citizens must assume personal responsibility, not to turn the sexual violence, drug use and unhealthy diet and other issues are all attributed to the impact of society and the media.

Texas revised tutorial is the United States continued interaction between the different political forces and the contest a " cultural politics ", which in pluralistic democratic society is not surprising. It is worth noting that the object of contention is the millions of young school students, and the result will affect the next generation of Americans to understand their history, and thus the formation of national identity, community values and civic attitudes.