The Teaching of World History: A Status Report

Abstract

ry which transcends national and regional boundaries and comprehends the entire globe-is one of the marks of the present.i This awareness that Barraclough spoke of has grown today into a movement of significant strength within the historical profession, perhaps not yet earning the descriptive term, revolution. This paper will examine some dimensions of the movement towards world history, review the most cogent complaints and criticisms against the way it is taught, offer some tentative responses to the criticisms, and suggest a few practical approaches for stepping up the forward march of this movement. The last point is particularly crucial since, as with any other movement, unless it can grow and can attract supporters, the world history movement may well stagnate and wither away. Evidence of a movement to world history is fragmentary, but can be found at both the secondary and college levels. In Fall, 1981, the New York City public secondary schools adopted a world history requirement, replacing two separate courses, a history of Western Civilization and regional studies of Eastern Civilization, with a three semester world history course. 2 In Texas, all high school students are required to take one year of world history or world geography (90 per cent select the history option).3 A report released last June by the College Board, entitled Academic Preparation for College, outlined certain basic academic subjects that college-bound students