Whose America?: Culture Wars in the Public Schools
Zimmerman, director of the History of Education Program at the Steinhardt School and Education Program, New York University, examines the culture wars that have been fought in America's schools since the Civil War and divides what is commonly held to be one battle into two distinct conflicts, each with its own unique beginnings. These two conflicts are fought over the teaching of history and religion and are aptly named Chicago and Dayton after their place of origin (the Chicago School Systems and Dayton, TN, respectively). The author chronicles the struggles by ethnic minority groups against the Anglo-Saxon majority to gain a place in the history texts and curriculum. Interestingly, these conflicts sometimes resulted in fundamentally opposed organizations landing on the same side of an issue. Zimmerman then turns his discerning eye to the tangled politics of religious instruction, prayer, and sex education in the schools. By placing these conflicts within their historical context, the author leads readers to a deeper understanding of the issues and how they have influenced and continue to influence public school instruction. This landmark piece of scholarship is recommended for academic and public libraries and education history collections. Mark Alan Williams, Web Lib. & Document Storage Svcs., ChicagoCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.