Description
Book SynopsisTrade Review“Who we are as a nation has always been a central through line in culture wars focused on US schools. But as Zimmerman astutely argues, the disputes have morphed in substance over the past twenty years. Will culture wars in schools ever recede? In these polarized times, the answer appears to be an emphatic no.” * Amy Binder, coauthor of The Channels of Student Activism: How the Left and Right Are Winning (and Losing) in Campus Politics Today *
“A fascinating tour through the strange twists and turns in America’s culture wars. Zimmerman analyzes each generation’s conflict over the schoolroom, right down to the contemporary fracas over American history itself. This compelling book shows us how culture wars always provoke the most dangerous question of all: Who are we?” * James A. Morone, author of Hellfire Nation: The Politics of Sin in American History *
“Nowhere does the culture war in America rage more intensely than in education. Zimmerman provides a comprehensive map of this contested terrain and, with it, rich insight essential for a constructive way forward. Essential reading for parents, teachers, school administrators, and all concerned with the education of America’s youth.” * James Hunter, author of Culture Wars: The Struggle to Define America *
"This highly informative and updated second edition of
Whose America? leaves readers both relieved and concerned about the state of American history education. Clashes over religion, sex education, and the Civil War have long consumed schools and school board meetings, including fraught verbal and sometimes physical encounters. The nation lived through these battles and in most cases came out stronger. . . . The message readers are left with is that participating in debate on these issues might be the only thing holding the nation together. Recommended." * Choice *
Table of ContentsPreface to the Second Edition
Introduction: Beyond Dayton and Chicago
Part 1: History Wars
Chapter 1: Ethnicity and the History Wars
Chapter 2: Struggles over Race and Sectionalism
Chapter 3: Social Studies Wars in New Deal America
Chapter 4: The Cold War Assault on Textbooks
Chapter 5: Black Activism, White Resistance, and Multiculturalism
Part 2: God in the Schools
Chapter 6: Religious Education in Public Schools
Chapter 7: School Prayer and the Conservative Revolution
Chapter 8: The Battle for Sex Education
Part 3: From Religion to History
Chapter 9: Twenty-First-Century Culture Wars: From 9/11 to Donald Trump
Conclusion: Who Are We Now?
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Notes
Index
