Traditional Subjects

Traditional Subjects and Changing Culture

Changes in thinking about education and schooling within a society tend to reflect the changes within that society. Definitions of curriculum and the “canon” of traditional subjects serve as examples of two interrelated concepts that have changed in tandem during the past two centuries. Before the late 19th century, curriculum and subjects were synonymous. The curriculum was designed to transmit essential cultural knowledge to society's elite. This curriculum consisted of the study of fundamental subjects and the “great” books that codified the knowledge in each subject. With the advent of education for the general population in the early 20th century, curriculum began to be described in terms of intentionwhat subject areas should be included for general education of the masses. By the 1940s, U.S. schools began to more accurately reflect the true diversity of the nation and curriculum began to be expressed in terms of actual experience in schools. In reality, this translated into a listing of subjects, often divided into tracks, these diverse students would be required to take. By the end of the 20th century, curriculum came to focus on educational outcomes what a student learned in school. One product of this emphasis was the codification of subject area knowledge into standards and benchmarks for various grade-level bands.

Although reforms and innovations wax and wane, subjects tend to remain the common curriculum organizer over time. They are also the most recognizable curriculum structure to parents, students, and teachers. However, change does occur in which subjects are included in the curriculum and which subjects are considered traditional. In the United States, where education is essentially a local enterprise, traditional subjects have varied across a state, region, and the nation. The local community's vision for education shapes the schools' curriculum and what subjects are considered traditional. The school that is commissioned to transmit the current culture will likely identify different traditional subjects than will a school specially made to change the cultural status quo.

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