Guest writer : Out of one, many
Posted on Saturday, June 21, 2008
Do “we the people” still exist ?
Until recent years, young Americans were taught that, above all else, they were Americans. They could be many other things in addition, but first and foremost they had a unique identity as Americans. Today, a trans-national group identity based on race, cultural origins or sexual orientation seems to have trumped civic identity, especially at colleges that allow race- and ethnicity-specific housing for their students.
A newly released report, “E Pluribus Unum: The Bradley Project on American Identity,” tells us that a sizable number of Americans do not think we the people have much in common anymore. Although 83 percent of those polled for the report said that they believe in a unique American identity, 24 percent believe that we are already so divided that a common national identity is impossible. Indeed, many Americans now claim to see themselves as “citizens of the world,” presumably concerned equally about all people no matter where in the world they live.
Despite their relatively small numbers, these citizens of the world have already had an enormous influence on the education of our young, particularly through English language arts programs. I have been reviewing state standards in the English language arts since 1997. As of my last round of reviews in 2005, 25 states in the Union don’t even bother to mention the existence of an “American” literature in their English standards. Ipso facto, they cannot—and do not—require their students to study our historically and culturally significant writers, however they choose to define them. Instead, students are to study “culturally relevant” texts (whatever that means ), and classical and contemporary works from all cultures—a tall order, indeed, for the typical English teacher.
A large majority of states also fail to specify that informed participation in this country’s civic culture is a major goal of the public school curriculum. Indeed, only 13 states make it clear in their standards documents that they want students to become informed citizens of the United States of America.
Once upon a time, the goal of the English curriculum in our public schools was to develop the speaking, reading and writing skills that future voters would need for active participation in this country’s civic culture. This goal included the ability to read our seminal political documents as well as other historical and contemporary materials that shape responsible participation in our particular democracy.
Instead, we are now more likely to find the latest educational jargon. We are regularly told today that the purpose of the public schools is to furnish students with the “skills” that a global economy is claimed to require in the 21 st century. I have yet to find one word about content. Apparently, young Americans do not need to acquire shared knowledge or common historical understanding for success in the 21 st century, just contentfree skills.
Clearly, our distinctive participatory civic culture is in jeopardy, whether we think of those voluntary organizations that cut across racial, ethnic and gender divisions or of local selfgovernment and the many unpaid positions that enable citizens to shape the institutions that constitute our common good—our public libraries, schools, colleges, universities, museums, playgrounds, hospitals, parks, memorials, historic sites, and other places and institutions.
An increasing number of students are growing up without an overarching national identity and a sense of membership in their country’s civic culture. As the Bradley report found, young Americans are less likely than older Americans to be proud of their country and to believe that it has a unique national identity.
The need to reinvigorate the development of young Americans’ civic identity cannot be stressed strongly enough. Will “citizens of the world” feel any obligation to their civic communities—local, state and national—if they no longer believe they share certain political ideas, values and institutions ? Will “citizens of the world” willingly pay their taxes to their local, state and national governments to support our common good ? Or will they send their money to unaccountable international bodies for use and distribution instead ? Based on the deliberations of a large group of leading historians, political scientists, journalists, educators and other public figures, the Bradley report provides a number of substantive recommendations to help educational, business and civic organizations address the growing gap between those Americans whose first commitment is to our nation’s political principles and their fellow citizens and those Americans who either have no commitments at all or have other priorities altogether. We ignore these recommendations at our peril.
—–––––•–––––—Sandra Stotsky is professor of education reform at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
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