Digest of Cohference on 
RECONSTRUCTING THE SOC IAL STUDIES PROGRAIli IN GENERAL EDUCATION 
Discussion leaders: 
Dr. Earl Johnson~ Research Associate in the Social Studies, Co()pe ·rative 
Study in General Education,. ,American Council on Education; Dr • . Leland C., De 
Vinney, University of Chicago. 
Digest prepared b~ Faul Heaton, graduate student, Un1versity of Chicago~ 
Mr •. Johnson selee·ted as the opening quest ion, iiWhat prompts attention to 
the reconstruction of the social sc~nee program?" He then asked whether the 
traditional approach leads to general education. He said that he would certain 
ly be unwilling to define general education in terms of courses taken. 
A discussion. of general education followed. . It was suggested that general 
education should be foundational and .common to all. Moreover, it should involve 
recogni tion of the demands of society in the sense of the need for understanding 
cultUre and the role of the individual in it •. The individual should be made 
senslti ve to current conditions in the light of · central social and economic 
principles. The discussion was limited to the first two years of. college as 
the period now generally recognized as devoted to general education. It was 
said that traditional courses were not sufficiently integrated and did not de 
velop skills essential to living. 
The method should not be a quick over-view without sufficient ana lysis of 
materials and synthesis. The need is for organization by teachers with broad 
background rather than by specialists. Different pOints of view were expressed 
at this point. Some thought it best to center materials on a specific problem, 
usin~ the scientific approach and providing constant practice in scientific 
method .. They felt that there should not be too much pre-formulation of principler 
that it niight destroy the challenge t ·o the indi vidual • . Mr .. Johnson, on the other 
hand, declared that problem-solving was not the whole of the method of social 
study. Other approaches to conflicts in· values and 1n the inter-relationships 
within society as part of the total human situation are equally significant. He 
would cor.side r the individual as the center of a series of concentric circles 
which represent increasingly l arger social groups. Many questions have i mplica 
tions which extend from the individual through this series of circles to the 
outer ring of wo rld society. All aspects of living must be seen in their proper 
social setting. 
History was discussed as th.e underlying social discipline to be used wherev 
er needed in the process of analysis and synthesi s.. It 1s better to begin with 
the study of the institutional stages behind the modern forms rather than begin 
with the assUmption of the need for general reform. 
Literature as a re,flection of society of other periods can contribute to 
social science.. However, this calls for a teacher with a broad background. 
Mr. Johnson though.t that special approaches such as that of consumer educa 
tion are too narrow. Mr •. DeVinney repeated that the need is for a clearer pic 
ture of society and the role of the individual in it.. The need is for historical 
perspective with emphasis on the recent changes in institutions. He would pro 
ceed from the level of the folk society to that of the present with the introduc 
tion of the ~clentific disciplines as an integr.al part of systematic training. 
This should also bring out changes in ideas and values~ Many of the problems 
of today began to appear in. earlier periods, and a more intensive examination of 
basic problems should follow •. This is the program at the University of Chicago. 
A second course adds relevant concepts and a consideration of the conflicts of 
value and of interest. There is continued emphasis on the student's insight 
into his own mental processes, and this is paralleled by some insight into 
the processes of society. There is a detall.ed examination of some common preju 
dices which have no factual basis, as, for instance, attitudes toward race. 
There have been several contributors to the course at Chicago over a period 
of years. The syllabus is revised annually. Those responsible for the course 
hold weekly seminars to discuss its content. Comprehensive examinations are 
administered by the Board of Examinations. No question is included except by 
agreement of all the staff. Student comment on the course receives some consid 
eration. 
It was asked to what extent the staff at Chicago is conscious of an attempt 
to attain specific objectives. 
Mr. DeVinney replied that this was implied in what had already been said. 
He added that another objective is the student's ability to enter into discus 
Sion unemot ionally so that a system of free discussion might· be protected. His 
knov~ledge of society should enable him to anal yze society. He should also de 
velop an awareness of problems and skill in searching for information. 
It was suggested that the student body at Chicago should have thus been 
enabled to consider such a problem as the abolition of football. 
Mr. DeVinney said that he believed that such training had contributed to 
a detached attitude on the part of the students toward this matter. 
2 
Mr. Johnson called upon Miss Koopman, of the Central State Teaehers College 
of hi ount Pleasant, Hichigan, to describe the relevant part of the program in that 
college. iU ss Koopman said that it includes those who are being prepared for 
teaching in elementary schools. This group 1s now about one-half of the student 
body at l,iount Pleasant. Most of these students ar e from the rural section and 
are an unselected group, ranging in age from seventeen to t wenty years. The 
first problem is that of an analysis of the needs of the student in society. 
During a s~Grt orientation period he takes a share of responsibility in planning 
class activi ties. He be gins with the. individual in sec iety and the study of 
simple cultures. These are analyzed from the standpoint of social processes in 
mUch the manner in which they are defined by L. C • Marshall. The student makes 
a study of life in his own community, carrying out field work to identify social 
processes in action there. Similarities in different communitie s are studred 
with later attention to variability from one time to another. Materiai$ are 
taken from various sourees and accuracy in observation is stressed. Thus comes 
the recognition of social problems. Round tables are held f or the pooling of 
findings, and a composite list of problems is made. Criteria are set up for 
selecting important problems. Present trends are analyzed such as the intensity 
of the problem at the time and the number of people affected, and an attempt is 
made to consider related institutional change. Dewey's steps in problem-solving 
are applied. 
There is much individualizing of the program. It terminates with considera 
tion of social change and the role of the individual in society in relation to it. 
Miss Koopman stated that some question has arisen as to whether t his pro 
gram should be placed in t he first or second year and as to t he extent and place 
of the guidartce program in relation to it. 
, . 
:3 
Mr, Devinney said that the problem is to make the student adequate to deal 
with the wider society and the problems that he knows he is going to meet~. He 
needs personal skill and an understanding of the systematic theoretical informa 
tion, but is he always aware of his oWfl problems? 
Someone commented that students are often aware of the breadth of problems 
but are not familiar enough with their own surroundings to proceed, despite the 
fact of their assumed familiarity. 
Miss Koopman was asked how people react to the Mount Pleasant surveys and 
how willing they a re to cooperate in various communi ties. She replied tha t these 
surveys are often asked for, as was a study of child life, in Mount Pleasant 
where a community council has been organized, Variation in the su'rveys from 
year to year has been found possible with a composite survey being under way at 
present. 
It was asked whether the ne w integrated courses made poss!1"'le the elimina 
tion of any of the commonly numerous be ginning courses~ It was said that this 
had happened at Chicago and at Columb1a, 
It was now suggested t hat care should be t aken to ma ke all theory function 
al. Student s below average ability 'lI.'ere said to be able to grasp it only in 
relation to meaningful problems. Mr, DeVinney que stioned whether this means 
that one should simply go at a problem as he finds i t. He believed that there 
1s a need for generalized kno wledge which will apply to new situations and that 
thus problem-solving should not be wholly set apart from familiarity with theory. 
Someone objected that the danger is in too much formulation of theory t oo 
far in advance of the problem situation and that this is undesirable in terms 
of maximum learning~ ivIr, DeVinney believed, however, that you cannot lead up t o 
many problems in terms of immedi ate experience. I t is important not to neglect 
systematic traini ng such as that in economic t heory. It was concluded that 
there is no objection to t eaching principles in connection w1th probl ems, 
However, a comment was made that it i s essential to test in terms of mod1fication 
of behav1or.