The Social Studies Wars

The history of social studies is a story of dramatic turf wars among competing political camps. In this volume, Ronald Evans describes and interprets this history and the continuing battles over the purposes, content, methods, and theoretical foundations of the social studies curriculum. This fascinating volume:

• Provides balanced, in-depth coverage of the entire history of social studies education in the modern era, from the late 19th century to the present—the first book of its kind.
• Analyzes the underlying historical, societal, and cultural contexts in which the social studies curriculum has evolved over time.
• Addresses the failure of social studies to reach its potential for dynamic teaching because of a lack of consensus in the field.
• Links the ever-changing rhetoric and policy decisions to their influence on classroom practice.
• Helps to clarify the meaning, direction, and purposes of social studies instruction in schools.

Ronald W. Evans is a nationally recognized scholar in social studies education and a professor in the School of Teacher Education at San Diego State University.

"Evans' book is a fascinating tour of the competing forces that have shaped social studies curriculum in the United States. It offers one important reminder after another that what schools teach about the nature of society has always been a contested terrain."
—Bill Bigelow, co-editor, Rethinking Globalization: Teaching for Justice in
an Unjust World

“This history is told through the eyes of an issues-centered educator. It is MUST READING for all social studies educators.”
—Anna S. Ochoa-Becker, Professor Emeritus, School of Education, Indiana University