Redirecting our Voyage through History: A Content Analysis of Social Studies Textbooks

Abstract

At the heart of the debate over public school curriculum is the production of knowledge. The control of knowledge production is significant because it affects students' beliefs and attitudes about society. Because textbooks play such a crucial role in children's learning, multicultural education includes proposals for textbook changes to make the curriculum more representative of diverse views. This study examines the question: To what extent are social studies textbooks inclusive of diverse perspectives on U.S. history? In order to answer this question, we conducted a content analysis of the presentation of slavery in fifth-grade social studies texts being used in Connecticut. Our findings demonstrate that the majority of textbooks have reached the additive stage (including key themes and issues)for African American men and the contributions stage (including famous people and events) for African American and White women.