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Social studies education, broadly speaking, aims to help students become informed, active, and effective citizens in a diverse democratic society. For the purposes of this entry, diversity includes cultural, ethnic, exceptional learning needs, gender, linguistic, racial, religious, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic class diversity. This entry considers the goals of social studies education and the role of diversity in addressing these goals. It focuses primarily on examining social studies education and diversity from a curriculum and instruction perspective at the K–12 level. Specifically, this entry analyzes diversity's role in four common social studies education courses (civics/government, economics, geography, and history) across the United States. Although social studies teacher preparation for diversity is briefly addressed, this topic is more thoroughly examined elsewhere in this encyclopedia.

Social Studies Education

The National Council for the Social Studies defines social studies as study of varied academic disciplines such as anthropology, archaeology, civics/government, economics, geography, history, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, and sociology. Social studies education combines these disciplines for an integrated study of social sciences and humanities, as well as proper content from the natural sciences and mathematics for the promotion of civic competence—the knowledge, intellectual processes, and democratic dispositions needed for active and engaged democratic citizenship.

Social studies as a K–12 school subject varies from state to state. In most secondary schools, social studies classes include civics/government, economics, geography, history, psychology, and sociology courses. In most elementary schools, students enroll in social studies classes that combine disciplines of humanities (primarily history) and the social sciences. Regardless of the specific focus of the social studies course, most social studies teachers emphasize curricular themes such as culture, people, places, environments, power, authority, governance, and global connections to promote civic competence.

Social studies education, above all, aims to promote civic competence for democratic society. It does so because many social studies educators believe that students must be taught to become thoughtful, active, and effective democratic citizens. As John Dewey so clearly articulated, democracy must be learned. Schools serve as a crucial locus for fostering active citizens who understand the essential principles of democratic life and active involvement based upon those principles. The aim of social studies education, in particular, is to instill students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required for effective democratic citizenship in a multicultural society. Although social studies education does not maintain exclusivity in promoting civic competence, this goal is primary to the mission of social studies education. No other school subject makes this objective its focal point.

Diversity

Social studies education's goal of promoting civic competence requires that all students of all backgrounds be integrated within this mission. Thus, social studies education needs to address cultural, ethnic, exceptional learning needs, gender, linguistic, racial, religious, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic class diversity in preparing thoughtful, active, and effective democratic citizens.

A focus on diversity is essential to the goal of social studies education for several important reasons. Attention to diversity supports pluralism, which already exists within the United States and across many nations in the world today. Nations across Europe and North America have become more diverse as a result of increased worldwide migration since the end of World War II. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, citizens from previously labeled ethnic “minority” groups will became the majority within several decades. Given this plurality, social studies education incorporates the rich diversity of citizens in creating a K–12 program that cultivates inclusion while addressing similarity and differences among citizens. In light of the increasing pluralism in the United States and across the world, the study of these disciplines (economics, geography, history, and political science) within social studies education enables educators and students to gain a better understanding of the diverse populations surrounding them.

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