Session Information
17 SES 02, Cultural History Perspectives
Paper Session
Contribution
Objectives:
- to provide a new way to apply CAH through perspective-taking activities
- to provide a new way of looking at CAH in light of the famous European philosopher, Ortega y Gasset’s philosophical maxim “I am myself plus my circumstance.”
Theoretical framework: The Cultural Approach to Teaching History (CAH) is the application of an anthropological perspective to viewing the past that leads to the conclusion that every human has a personal connection to world history. This approach was inspired by the seminal work of Caroline Ware (1940) and still has the potential to become a force multiplier of critical thinking in schools today. This approach allows students to view human activities from previous times and places through the six lenses or categories of culture, labeled: political, religious, aesthetic, intellectual, social, and economic; they may recognize patterns and relationships and they may also discover a connection to themselves that is worth the effort of deeper inquiry (Ivey, n.d.).
Making sense of history in the absence of cultural circumstances that give birth to history is an ineffective exercise. The profound philosophical maxim, “I am myself plus my circumstance” contributed by 20th century Spanish philosopher, Ortega y Gasset (1914,1961), provides a sensible rationale of why understanding oneself necessitates understanding the circumstance that oneself is placed within. Thus, if students are to learn history, they must also become familiar with the human context of the past. The CAH takes perceiving history beyond the tasks of memorization and recitation of facts. Unfortunately, teaching methods that reinforce memorization dominate the history lesson plans of teachers today. While facts may be recalled by students on any number or types of assessments, the facts alone do not provide patterns, connections, or context. Making associations between these factual events and the circumstances in which these events took place, namely the cultural context, are what provide a deeper understanding of history. For instance, any attempt to make sense of the poverty of an individual or a group without considering the circumstance the individual or the group is in would provide an insufficient perspective. All attempts to understand, in this case poverty, must involve examining the circumstance. Admittedly, examining and understanding one’s circumstances is not an easy task as it requires more than just knowing the facts about oneself. Without perspective taking, making a judgment about the circumstances would be an injustice.
One vehicle used to equip students in the application of CAH is through a living history or role-play exercise, which is founded on perspective taking. This type of activity should be used to augment instruction, not supplant it. It forces the students to answer the question, “What would I do if I were there?” To be adequately prepared to answer the question, the student must have an understanding of several influences on such a decision. The student must also be coached to not use what he or she knows today to represent a decision made years ago.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Ivey, O. (N.D.). A cultural approach to the teaching of social studies. Unpublished information paper, 1-2. Gasset, O. y J. (1961). Meditations on Quixote. (E. Rugg & D. Marin, Trans.). New York, NY: W.W. Norton. (Original work published in 1914). Ware, C. F. (1940). The Cultural Approach to History. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
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