Progressives, on the other hand, view knowledge as a social construction-a human invention within a particular historical, social, and political context. Traditionalists and cultural conservatives argue that the established canon of Western scholarship, science, and art constitutes the knowledge that schools should transmit to students. Progressives argue that a multicultural society requires multiple perspectives, including a critique of the Western canon. Conservatives and traditionalists argue that traditional versions of knowledge in the subjects, especially in language arts and social studies, support traditional codes of decency and moral behavior. Only by having a single dominant version, they argue, will society have the moral stability that makes it strong.
Progressives argue that decency and moral behavior follow from multiple traditions.
They find a decent and moral center in all traditions that are committed to democratic participation. Thus, they envision multiple centers from which society gains stability. And, given the ready alignment between curriculum perspectives and political positions, it is not surprising that curriculum discussions are so often derailed by controversy that appears to have little to do with the student, the teacher, and the subject.