A cross-cultural historical examination of Santa Claus reflects that women have contributed substantially to the legend of Santa Claus, but their contributions are downplayed, demeaned, or reframed to fit a sexist view of women's roles. Santa Claus type figures have emerged around the world as part of celebrations of the winter solstice, but…

Amidst a steady clamor about "learning loss" during the pandemic, a minority of educators have cautioned we must, in the words of Donna Haraway, "stay with the trouble," giving children space to grieve, explore, and make sense of a new reality. In this paper I interrogate what it means to stay with trouble and specifically call…

"Pastimes" (7th ed.) introduces the phenomenon of leisure and reflects a wide range of material from the disciplines of leisure studies, sociology, psychology, economics, political science, history, anthropology, geography, the humanities, and media and cultural studies. This book discusses leisure from personal, societal, and systems…

School films depict educational leaders as lone miracle workers. Students of colour and/or from low socio-economic backgrounds are shown as victims in need of a saviour, who appears in the form of a (usually White) teacher who lacks the qualifications and experience to work with students living in poverty. "Freedom Writers," "Music…

This paper presents a method for social studies teachers to incorporate song lyrics into the study of controversial historical events and issues. Using the Hunt and Metcalf "Seven Problematic Areas of the Social Studies" as the rubric for selecting appropriate songs, the Teacher Candidate (TC) explains how song lyrics make viable text…

In this paper the authors explore the phenomena of positive attitudes towards negative affect among young adolescent as reflected in the appearance and behaviours of "radical peer crowds", such as Punks, Goths and Emos. The authors consider the significance of this in relation to the history of melancholy and theories of identity…

For the author, the key analytic question about a popular song is not "What does it mean?" or "What hidden or coded meaning does it express?" but "What does its popularity tell us about the cultural moment when it resonated with its public?" How did the song "create its audience," so to speak? Obviously, a 1973 hit song, if it could time-travel,…

Collaboration between two biologists and a physicist resulted in the example of tattooing being used as a motivator to support discussion across several scientific fields (cell biology, microbiology, human health, and physics). Although often viewed as self-destructive and rebellious in the Western world, tattooing has a deep and rich history full…

To demonstrate the significance of cultural crossings in Texas and how cultural exchanges can inform teachers and students in the areas of history, fine arts, geography, and social studies, the author constructed a Summer 2013 teacher workshop for Texas K-12 teachers through the Smithsonian Affiliated Institute of Texan Cultures. The author…

Many young college students in Florida tend to view the image of Jesus exclusively from a theological perspective. That image is produced by church services, religious study groups, or popular culture--all of which use the Bible as their primary source. The historical figure of Jesus is essentially unknown to most students. When the best scholars…

"Popular culture" and "culture studies" have become mainstays of the humanities in higher education. Like most other humanities courses, popular culture courses today mainly serve the usual politically correct program of the existing dominant class in the academy. Nevertheless, such courses can also be a powerful tool for instructors who wish to…

During the 18th and 19th centuries, numerous "entrepreneurs de spectacles scientifiques"--a new category of "stall-keepers"--travelled around France, displaying their scientific shows to the public. They turned out to be physics demonstrators, magicians, mechanical engineers or curators of museums of anatomy. A general survey…

Popular music is a "lingua franca" for young people. The songs of German "Liedermacher" lend themselves to classroom uses. "Liedermacher" are cultural commentators who entertain and edify with their songs. Focusing on social and political aspects of postwar Germany, "Liedermacher" songs have been a…

This article is designed to survey mid-20th century American perceptions of Latin America through popular culture. It focuses on an analysis of the motion picture treatment of Latin America in the American film Juarez. The plot, characters, and cinematography have all been influenced by the social and political climate in the United States and…

Because music can evoke deep personal meanings, social studies educators often use songs to emphasize larger historical moments. Since music is a vital component of youth popular culture, preferred over even movies and television (Rideout, Roberts, and Foehr 2005), a teacher's understanding and application of popular music can be a powerful tool…