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History in the Making: the Impact of Ideology in Lynne Cheney's Children's Books

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History in the Making: the Impact of Ideology in Lynne Cheney's Children's Books Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University Communication Theses Department of Communication Summer 8-22-2010 History in the Making: The Impact of Ideology in Lynne Cheney's Children's Books Samuel Miller Georgia State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/communication_theses Part of the Communication Commons Recommended Citation Miller, Samuel, "History in the Making: The Impact of Ideology in Lynne Cheney's Children's Books." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2010. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/communication_theses/62 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Communication at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Communication Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. HISTORY IN THE MAKING: THE IMPACT OF IDEOLOGY IN LYNNE CHENEY’S CHILDREN’S BOOKS by SAMUEL MILLER Under the Direction of Dr. Tomasz Tabako ABSTRACT This analysis of children’s literature attempts to understand the relationship between social reproduction and ideology. This thesis argues that children’s literature written by Lynne Cheney is a cultural artifact that constitutes an ideological history. In addition, it argues that her books can be used by ideological institutions to strengthen socially accepted practices through the theory of social reproduction. Since there is a lack of theory regarding cultural artifacts in literary studies, an adoption from the field of pedagogy called the theory of hidden curriculum is used to explain social reproduction. The process of social reproduction reinforces socioeconomic structures put in place in order to reinforce social norms. INDEX WORDS: Children’s literature, Ideology, Social reproduction, Hegemony, Hidden curriculum, Pedagogy, Myth, Social practice, Deconstruction HISTORY IN THE MAKING: THE IMPACT OF IDEOLOGY IN LYNNE CHENEY’S CHILDREN’S BOOKS by SAMUEL MILLER A Thesis in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Master of Arts In the College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University 2010 Copyright by Samuel Clark Miller 2010 HISTORY IN THE MAKING: THE IMPACT OF IDEOLOGY IN LYNNE CHENEY’S CHILDREN’S BOOKS by SAMUEL MILLER Committee Chair: Dr. Tomasz Tabako Committee: Dr. M. Lane Bruner Dr. Leonard Teel Electronic Version Approved: Office of Graduate Studies College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University August 2010 iv Acknowledgements First, and above all else, I would like to thank God for giving me the mental toughness to undertake such a demanding project. For that I am truly blessed. I would like to thank both of my parents, without them I would not be here doing whatever it is I am doing. I give special thanks to my Minnesota buddy Keara Tappe for editing my horrendous grammar. That is a full- time job in itself. I would like to thank all of my friends and family for being supportive by listening to me rant and rave about how much mental anguish this project gave me. I promise this is over, at least for a while anyway. I would also like to thank my thesis committee, especially Dr. Tabako for all the guidance and suggestions toward the project. It was these evaluations that made this project the very best it could be. I would like to thank Dr. Bruner for instilling that ever-present state of urgency to make this project run smooth. Finally, I would like to thank Dr. Teel just for having an interest in the project and posing questions that made me think about the direction this project was going. v Table of Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... iv Chapter One: ..............................................................................................................................1 Once Upon a Time: Every Story has a Beginning ........................................................................1 The Stage is Set .......................................................................................................................1 Why Analyze Children’s Literature ..........................................................................................5 The Story of Tony Stark ...........................................................................................................8 Rationale and Methodology of Study ...................................................................................11 Chapter Two: ............................................................................................................................13 Ideology, Social Reproduction, Hidden Curriculum and the Lasting Effects on Childhood .......13 Functions of Ideology ............................................................................................................19 Ideology as Myth ..................................................................................................................20 Ideology as Common Sense ..................................................................................................24 The Use of Hegemony in Ideology ........................................................................................26 The Concept of Social Reproduction .....................................................................................30 The Ideological State Apparatus ...........................................................................................36 The Cultural Artifact of Children’s Literature ........................................................................42 The Concept of Hidden Curriculum .......................................................................................45 Chapter Three ...........................................................................................................................49 The Ideograph and Deconstruction as Method ........................................................................49 Derrida and Deconstruction ..................................................................................................49 McGee and the Ideograph ....................................................................................................56 Chapter Four .............................................................................................................................61 Lynne Cheney’s Children’s Books .............................................................................................61 America: A Patriotic Primer ..................................................................................................67 A is for Abigail: An Almanac of Amazing American Women .................................................68 Our 50 States: A Family Adventure across America ..............................................................69 When Washington Crossed the Delaware: A Wintertime Story for Young Patriots ..............70 We the People: The Story of Our Constitution ......................................................................71 vi A Time for Freedom: What Happened When in America ......................................................71 The Role of Minorities in Cheney’s History ...........................................................................72 Cheney’s Oversimplification .................................................................................................83 The Role of Patriotism in Cheney’s Books .............................................................................88 The Concepts and Characteristics of Neoconservative Politics .............................................96 The Concepts and Characteristics of Neoliberal Economics ................................................ 102 Chapter Five: .......................................................................................................................... 109 And They Lived Happily Ever After… ...................................................................................... 109 References .............................................................................................................................. 116 Endnotes................................................................................................................................. 123 1 Chapter One: Once Upon a Time: Every Story has a Beginning The Stage is Set Since the attacks of September 11 2001, the United States has seen a revival of patriotism.1 After that day, the Republican Party made “freedom” their rally cry and stressed the need to protect it.2 Prior to the attacks President Bush was known as the “education president” with initiatives such as “No Child Left Behind.”3 Afterwards, it appeared the president had changed his agenda.4 In his speeches after the attacks, President Bush pushed his “War on Terror” for the remainder of his first term and used it as a platform to secure his reelection in 2004.5 Using this plan he preached for a more secure America, one that would stifle individual rights, alienate dissenting discourses, and polarize party lines more than in previous presidential administrations.6 Although President Bush may have turned from an education president to a war president, his rhetoric and the rhetoric of his party has been “educating” the country about what it means to be a patriot. President Bush suggested on numerous occasions throughout his administration that Americans go out and see the United States.7 Americans should visit
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