The Two Kinds of History American History Taught (original) (raw)

This paper is about why my Social Science students think there are two types of US history taught--on in the K-12 school system, and a different more critical one in the university system. The paper uses the approach of classical sociologist Max Weber to understand how such social stratification develops in the context of textbook writing, commemoration of holidays, and reproduction of the status quo. Examples developed to illustrate this point include the Pilgrims at Plymouth, and Martin Luther King, Jr.