DOCUMENT RESUME ED 142 497 SO 010 202 TITLE The Social Science Teacher, Vol. 6, No. 3,February 1977, Vol. 6, No. 4, April 1977 [And] Vol. 6, No.5, June 1977. INSTITUTION Association for the Teaching of the SocialSciences (England). PUB DATE 77 NOTE 131p.; For related documents, see ED 098 083, ED102 069, ED C98 117, and SO 010 200-201; Not availablein hard copy due to small type size oforiginal documents EDRS PRICE MF-$0.83 Plus Postage. HC Not Available from EDRS. DESCRIPTORS Community Study; *Comparative Education;Curriculum; Demonstration Programs; *Educational Trends; Elementary Secondary Education; ForeignCountries; Learning Activities; *Periodicals; PoliticalScience; Sex Rcle; *Social Sciences; *SocialStudies; *Teaching Methods IDENTIFIERS England ABSTRACT The first three issues for 197-' of TheSocial Science Teacher are presented. Each issue is devoted to aspecial topic relevant to social science instruction inelementary and secondary grades in England. The February issuecontains five articles focusing on the teaching of politics.Included are discussions of politics as a compulsory course, anexperimental program of political education for nine to 13-year-olds, and a reviewof the work of the Political Education Research Unit at the University ofYork. Articles about sex roles in society comprise the Aprilissue. These explore sex roles as stereotyped in social science textbooks, areview of resources on family roles, discussion starter activities for a sexroles course, and a source list for studying womenin society. Community studies teaching is the theme of the June issue. Onearticle describes a community volunteer program to involvestudents in activities. It analyzes problems in developingcommunity service programs in schools. Another article presents adirectory of useful.organizations for teaching community studies, such asAlcoholics Anonymous and the Confederation of British Industry. (AV) *********************************************************************** Documents acquired by ERIC include manyinformal unpublished * * materials not available fromother'sources. ERIC makes every effort * * to obtain the best copyavailable. Nevertheless, items of marginal * * reproducibility are oftenencountered and this affects the quality * * of the microfiche and hardcopyreproductions ERIC makes available * * via the ERIC DocumentReproduction Service (EDRS) .EDRS is not *- * responsible for the qualityof the original document. Reproductions* * supplied by EDRS are the best that canbe made from the original. ********************************************************************** t1' ASSOCIATION FOR THE TEACHING OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES U.S. DEPARTMENT OE HEALTH. REPRODUCE THIS -PERMISSION TO EDUCATION & WELFARE BY MICRO. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF COPYRIGHTED MATER,ALRANTE BY F1C E ONLY HASBEEN EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO. RAT DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM ORGANIZATIONS 0 NA TO ERIC ANDAGREEMENTSWITH THE THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN- ING UNDER OF EDUCATION ATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS TIONAL INSTITUTE OUTSIDE STATED DC, NOT NECESSARILY REPRE FURTHERREPRODUCTIONREQUIRES PERMIS SENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF THE ERIC SYSTEMCOPYRIGHT OWNER EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY SION OF THE THE SOCIAL SCIENCE TEACHER Edition on The Teaching of Politics VOL.6 No.3 FEBRUARY 1977 PRICE 7bn THE SOCIAL SCIENCE TEACHER Journal of the Association for the Teaching of the Social Sciences Vol. 6,No. 3 Edition on the Teaching of Politics Edited by Clive Herber (Published by A.T.S,S. Copyright A.T.S.S. 1977) PAGE CONTENTS Viewpoint by David Davies 1 2 A.T.S.S. News 7 Correspondence 9 Articles:1. Political Education for the Nine to Thirteens? AnExperiment by John Riches 2. Politics in the Compulsory Course? by Veronica Ellis 11 3. Teaching C.S.E. Politics by Clive Herber 14 4. '0' and 'A Level Government Teaching in Further Educationby Mick McGuiness and Richard Upright 17 the Work of the Political Education Research Unit 5. Researching Political Education 21 by Garth Allen 26 Reviews 30 Resources Exchange Section Cartoon Headings by Beverly Curl Views expressed in contributions to this journal do not necessarily representthe view of A.T.S.S. or the editors. The journal provides opportunities for the expressionof divergent ideas and opinions. 3 approaches from non-neutral but relatively "objec- VIEWPOINT ON "VIEWPOINT" tive" perspectives is of course a highly political act "Viewpoint" is strictly speaking a ten week course (and the IBA decision should be viewed in this in mass-communications contracted byThames light). Viewpoint comes to a Marxist, though some Television and broadcast in Autumn 1975 on the might argue Sociology of Knowledge, perspective. ITA educational network. The series is divided into What isto be evaluated and the mode of that evaluation is itself an outcome of struggle and con- three parts.Firstly, Communication in Society shows how beliefs and ideas are !ormed through flict. Knowledge gained in this area by teachers and communication and that communication itself is a pupils i4 part of a process of engagement in which everyone takes part. There can be no neutral means of cOntrol. Secondly, Meditation,consisting media chairperson. Education is practice and practice is of five programmes looks at messages in the highly problematic. Viewpoint succeeds in its aims end the processes through which fictional and non-, fictional messages pass. Thirdly, Structures exam- partly because the aims are correct but mainly organisations which because it presents a challenge. Pupils are not seen inesthelargeindustrial rather as effectively control mass-communications and looks as passive recipients of information but active agents of change within the situation in which at possibilities for alternatives. The Viewpoint programmes were seen by 9.1 they find themselves. They must think, question, discuss and the programme having stated its per cent of all secondary schools in the country challenges them to query and test what and most of these were non-selective. The response position from teachers and pupils was favourable. The has been said. Independent Broadcasting Authority's memoran- For the social science teacher the meaning of dum on Viewpoint (published in full in Screen Viewpoint is surely that possibly for the first time Education, Summer 1976 No.19) noted ... "The visually and imaginatively he can have material appetite among schools for such a series is perhaps which communicates to children the notion that v.hen we experience the world we experience a indicated by the unusually high take for the fltt political transmission of a secondary school series ... CA st.'ic:ure of values and beliefs which has the whole teachers seem to have appreciated the meanir.g. The way is shcwn for the teacher to get uzq:ind :.urf ace appearances and expose the false series Right-wing teachers observed that the programmes were 'anti-establishment' butfound rh.eds acquired under capitalism and simultaneoaslv they could provoke good discussion in difficult,to confront the depoliticisatior. of yetanother school generation. The teacher has the material classes." The whole series was due to be repeatedin the possibility of presenting reality as changeable in a 1976/77 ITA schedules but was withdrawn by the meaningful way within the learning situation in IBA after protests from Southern Television.No the classroom. complaints were received from teachers. Southern As far as the accusation of bias by the IBA goes, were concerned about "bias" in the programmes it exemplifies how little the media interests are pre- and the possible effect on the audience. Southern pared to defend access to the means of expression. is a private company owned jointly by theRank If capitalism facilitates freedom of expression then D.C. why could its media interests not contain and fur- Organisation, Associated Newspapers, and fact Thompson Ltd. As Screen Education noted ... ther facilitate Viewpoint? The series did in "Those who have seen Viewpoint will remember investigate "freedom of expression" and argued that the Rank Organisation and its interests was that capitalism restrictedit. For the IBA then impartiatity appea,s to be an uncritical acceptance given specific attentioninthe series and that generally Viewpoint took a critical line on the of capitalism's ability to foster a supposedpairality ownership of mass-communications byprivate of views laving moreor-less equal access to the means of expression. The banning ofViewpoint commercial interests." have already said Viewpoint is strictly gives the lie to this .nyth. The category oc "impar- As I tiality" has been used the privately owned speaking a course in mass-communication. In reality to suppress views INhich could it is much more as the media interests have been media interests quick to realise. The two main aims of theseries potentially subvert the ideology of the dominant media interests. The Screen Education i'.see above) are set out in the teachers' notes asfollows ... their editorial comment :1anposite "No statement 1. To direct the attention of educators and existence students towards the mass media. can be neutral or non-par isan, by ,ts v%:.y 2. o examine from a social viewpoint therelation- it negates and excludes an infinity of unarticulated shios between the mass media and philosophy, possiblealternative statement:, that cam? with economics, culture and education. them a different order of values and views of the A more fundamental intention 'can be discerned world. To say that something is