Madeline Hesse 9/24/2013

Let's Put the Social in Social Studies

Church socials, social problems, social status, social capital, social structure, social behavior, social psychology, social role, social stratification, social network, social studies. This word is attached to so many phrases and generally it's safe to say it refers to society and its organization. But when was the last time someone investigated what it means to be social?

The word, according to Apple's Dictionary, originates from Latin socialis 'allied,' from socius 'friend' or 'companion'. But in these days does just being friendly constitute as being social? In his time, Robert Frost conceived that "To be social is to be forgiving". With the ageold grievances of warfare--retribution incited by injustice, fighting fire with fire--it appears that on a global level, we have yet to incorporate that quality into our values. Forgiveness is more than the cessation of anger and resentment or the absolution of a mistake, forgiveness is both to freely bestow upon another member of society the full grace of humanity and sacrifice all feelings of negativity. Forgiveness takes generosity, trust and flexibility. I propose that like Frost, this time of crumbling corporate greed now calls for a culture of forgiveness: for forgiveness of our enemies transforms them into brothers and allies.

Where does forgiveness fit into curriculum? The subject of social studies is certainly a broad, interdisciplinary one, where teachers cover areas from anthropology, history, geology, and politics (to name only a few). Tying forgiveness to a lesson on the Civil War may be like trying to pin a wave upon the sand. Yet if the primary purpose of social studies is to form the younger generation into a bright group of informed citizens capable of interacting positively with people all over the world, being able to forgive miscommunication and actions misunderstood may be a good place to start. Forgiveness does have its place in the classroom: it comes into building a culture with strong ethical values; it displays itself in a work policy that supports the student in making mistakes and rising above them; it is the model of a teacher as she admits her own limited perception in a world of changing knowledge.

Both Anne Frank and W.E.B. Du Bois agree that no one need wait for the future to improve the present; the time is now. How we view ourselves and our own capacity in relation to the world

and the work needed to make it peaceful--not just without unrest but with the presence or justice-is crucial. And this work starts in your classrooms. It starts with your relationships with your students, with their parents, and just as importantly, your relationship to yourself. Remember these wise words from President Woodrow Wilson: You are not here merely to make a living. You are here to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, and with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget this errand.

At this very moment, there are people only you can reachand differences only you can make. Mike Dooley