Chapter 1: Social Studies: Problems and Possibilities

Social Studies remains a field in search of an identity. Or to put things more accurately, social studies is a field struggling to reconcile multiple and, at times, conflicting rationales. As we enter a new century, it is an appropriate time to reflect on the condition of social studies. Where have we been? Where are we now? What should we do in the future? The essays in this book explore possible answers to these questions as they apply to critical areas of concern for social studies educators.

Social studies is, by definition, an eclectic field that draws on a wide range of disciplines and other fields. It is this enormous range of knowledge that makes social studies such a rich and dynamic curriculum area. The field includes the social science disciplines (e.g., anthropology, economics, geography, political science, psychology, sociology) and the humanities (e.g., history, law, literature, philosophy). But social studies also include the interdisciplinary study of other disciplines' or fields (e.g., the history and philosophy of science; literary criticism; critical race theory; ethnic studies; bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgendered, and queer studies; multicultural education; and women's studies), as well as other fields of study such as communications, semiotics, or systems theory. Keep in mind that each of the disciplines or interdisciplinary fields that contribute to the social studies curriculum has itself been the locus of considerable debate regarding its methods, purposes, and boundaries.