Tentative Definition: “Social studies is an ever-changing discipline that involves a socially-constructed understanding of relationships between people, land, and history, and the ways in which we engage with and teach our malleable perception of that history.”
This version of a Social Studies definition, which serves as my piece of evidence for having learned this objective, is important because it acknowledges that the components of Social Studies, and our understanding of them, are always changing, as they are inherently tied to who we are as human beings, both as individuals, and as multiple iterations of groups. It concerns relationships, and how we shape and are shaped by the people and places around us, while also exploring the power relationships have in framing our view of the past and our paths for the future. This definition also invites us to ask ourselves who we are as human beings. “Education defines the kind of society we have” (from class). This gives us as educators a lot of power and responsibility to make the world a better place. I don’t necessarily believe that we teach what we are taught. I suppose I hesitate to agree with their statement because many of us probably go out of our way to ensure that we do not teach in the same way we were taught because we, in some way shape or form, feel that we missed out on some aspect of learning. However, perhaps it is the same as the destiny that we become our parents, whether we mean to or not. This definition will inform my teaching by reminding me that, just like Social Studies, my definition of it will change too.
Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash
