The story of the decline of sociology has been unfolding for a few decades, but it becomes a more hair-raising tale every year. The crazed and intellectually empty ideologues completely colonized the field. They have made it their own, and the consequence is that contemporary sociology is now a wasteland for any seeking the complex truths of human…

When we considered how current sociopolitical events may impact experiences of girlhood today and remembered our own lived girlhood experiences, we came to the collective realization that we often turned to books as a way to make sense of our liminal experiences during girlhood. Given the sociopolitical moment in which we are living and…

This paper offers an analysis of Modern Studies, a school subject unique to Scotland. First taught in the 1960s, Modern Studies was originally conceived as an option for students discontinuing their studies in history and geography. Since then, though, Modern Studies has carved a distinctive curricular niche and has become one of the most popular…

Overwhelmingly, elementary social studies standards focus on Native Americans in past tense. If elementary teachers follow state curriculum for social studies, students are often not provided the opportunity to learn about Native people in the present. The purposes of this study were to (a) determine the number of current state elementary (K-5)…

In the middle of the 20th century, trustees, elected officials, and others in the southern United States required black and white institutions to forfeit academic freedom protections when faculty research and teaching threatened to undermine white supremacy. In the early 21st century, faculty who critique white supremacy are facing similar attacks…

Discusses methods of teaching about the history of genocide and the potential for its occurrence today. Encourages students to confront commonly-held beliefs in order to understand human rights abuses. Studies current genocidal tendencies, such as those in Iran, to demonstrate the "latent potential in all of us to allow such evil to occur."…

This intermediate/secondary level unit on contemporary China is based on Allyn and Bacon's "Social Change: The Case of Rural China." Supplementary materials are suggested. This article is one of several in this issue on China studies. (SJL)

A science teacher relates his feelings as he discussed modern warfare with his sixth-grade students. The students' reactions to moral questions and issues behind civil defense procedures and radioactivity are also discussed. (FG)

History is the study of the past; some of the past is more recent than a glance over many schemes of work might lead us to think. Chris Culpin makes the case for ignoring the 20 year rule and tackling head on--and, crucially, "historically"--the big issues of the very recent past. He shows that critical historical study is precisely what…

Claims denial of genocide has become a routine defense as a result of the United Nations definition of international crimes. Describes grounds for denial by various governments and list arguments they have made to justify genocidal policies. Argues some academics assist in the process of denial by using revisionist strategies. (NL)

Explains a method for teaching current events that helps students understand an event's setting, character, vocabulary, and plot. Provides a lesson that approaches the Persian Gulf crisis as a living novel. Uses news stories for information. Includes review questions, suggested activities, and a Middle Eastern parable. (CH)

Outlines a sixth grade social studies project rewriting portions of outdated textbooks. Suggests steps by which students critically read, evaluate, and rewrite historical accounts of the Soviet Union to reflect recent changes. Explains how the project develops skills in evaluating information and making revisions. Emphasizes the active learning…

Describes the somewhat contradictory movements towards political and economic integration and political decentralization in the European Union (EU). Discusses the implications of those trends for the future of the sovereign state, specifically for Spain, France, and the United Kingdom. Maintains that political power is being wrested away from core…