Resumen de Struggle at the Frontier of Curriculum: The Rugg Textbook Controversy in Binghamton, NY
Ellen Boesenberg, Karen Susi Poland
Harold Rugg, a prominent social reconstructionist, published a series of social science textbooks entitled, Man and His Changing Society, which became controversial in the late 1930's and early 1940's. This controversy is important because it illustrates the extent to which vested interests and social forces are able to shape the discourse of schooling and curriculum content. As the case study of Binghamton, New York, illustrates, many forces- both local and national, influenced the development and use of curriculum. Revisiting this controversy, and placing it in the socio-historical context in which it occurred provides insight into the way controversies develop and grow and hopefully can help educators understand the formation of current controversies. What transpired in Binghamton is but a small chapter in the turbulent history of the development of the social studies curriculum, yet it illustrates how important the ideals of democratic process and community discussion can be in reaching decisions about curriculum
