(1982). "Isms" Theme. One of a series of social studies units designed to develop the reading and writing skills of low achievers, this student activity book focuses on the theme of political systems and beliefs. The unit can be used for high school classes, individual study in alternative and continuing high schools, and adult education classes. Following an introduction to political systems, the unit is divided into sections on communism, fascism, Adolph Hitler, socialism, and capitalism. Each section contains a short reading which places the political system in its historical context. Vocabulary and skill in distinguishing sounds are stressed throughout. An appendix contains supplementary readings and comprehension exercises on the Russian Revolution and Mussolini, and a comparison of the different political systems. (LP)…
(2007). A Traumatic Reading of Twentieth-Century Rhetorical Theory: The Belgian Holocaust, Malines, Perelman, and de Man. Quarterly Journal of Speech, v93 n3 p308-343 Aug. In this essay, I seek to read the rhetorical theories set forth by Belgians Chaim Perelman and Paul de Man as responses to the Holocaust. To accomplish this aspiration, I draw from Dominick LaCapra's framework for the analysis of trauma and its expression in historical and theoretical texts. Reading the rhetorical theories of Perelman and de Man, two of the most prominent of the twentieth century, through a lens of trauma theory allows critics to see them as post-war efforts to deal with the implications of the absence of meaning, the murder and loss of 25,257 Belgian Jews, Fascism, genocide, and de Man's collaboration with the Nazis. I argue that Perelman's rhetoric theory better "works-through" the Belgian Holocaust than the one offered by de Man because it offers a vision of reason that can yield justice and places collaborators in the "grey zone" of totalitarian societies and logical positivism, thereby offering de Man partial absolution for his endorsement of… [Direct]
(1996). World History Plays, Puzzles and Activities. This instructional resource, for grades 7-10, includes a collection of 10 plays with related learning activities. Units of study include: (1) "Alexander the Great and the Greeks"; (2) "The Black Death and the End of the Middle Ages"; (3) "Robert Clive and Imperialism"; (4) "Christopher Columbus and the Age of Exploration"; (5) "Fall of the Bastille and the French Revolution"; (6) "Napoleon and the French Empire"; (7) "Lenin & Trotsky and the Rise of Communism"; (8) "Giuseppe Garibaldi and Nationalism"; (9) "Hitler and the Rise of Fascism"; and (10) "Winston Churchill and World War II." Each unit includes introductory background information, a play for class participation, a study guide, and a time line. Reproducible activity and worksheets provide word scramble and/or crossword puzzles and student quizzes. (MM)…
(1992). Concerns for the Historical Profession: A Liberal Perspective. This paper contends that the debate over multiculturalism in the university is best understood from a broadened historical perspective. The experiences of educational reformers in Germany and the impact of fascism and communism are explored. Based on a historical approach to the multiculturalism debate, three areas of particular concern are identified: the first is a struggle about access and who belongs to the profession; the second is a conflict about the canon that revolves around what the profession does; and third is a clash about advocacy that involves how the profession relates to politics. In the debate over access to the university, the Central European record suggests broadening opportunities without restricting outcomes. In curricular questions, the German evidence points to widening the scope without mandating new orthodoxies. In politics, the Nazi and Stalinist experiences indicate that commitment needs to be tempered by professional restraint. The paper concludes with… [PDF]
(1992). Tragic Pages: How the GDR, FRG and Japan Processed Their War History–Lessons for Education for Peace. Peace Education Miniprints No. 39. This document describes the ways in which Japan and the German nations have taught the history of World War II. According to the document, the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) took a pro-communist and anti-fascist approach to the subject. At the same time, the Western Allies pressured the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) to institute a political education system designed to prevent the Germans from starting anew on the track toward fascism. In recent years, the FRG took greater responsibility for the War, and the mass media were instrumental in bringing information to the German public. Japanese teaching about the War downplays the nation's aggression in Asia and the Pacific and emphasizes the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States. The document argues that there is a continued need for peace education concerning World War II, but there is also a need to avoid negative politicization of the issue. Eighteen endnotes are included along with 47… [PDF]
(1987). Oral Tradition of Italian-Americans. The assimilation of Italians into American culture led to the loss of the Italian language, and an oral tradition of Italian peasants in which Italian feminist philosophy was grounded. The legends, parables, and proverbs told by these Italian women challenged the teachings of Catholicism, perpetuating an underground religious tradition which worshipped female deities. Some of the activist activities of these women are the following: (1) socialist demonstrations in the late 19th century; (2) anarchist, Marxist, and feminist confrontations which led to social changes; (3) opposition to troop trains to Libya; (4) protests of World War I; (5) strikes; (6) resistance to fascism; and (7) the practice of birth control in defiance of church and state. The political impact of the women's oral tradition was a self-determined libertarian socialism. The study of this movement was documented in volumes of folklore in the 19th century. Today in Italy the study of this oral tradition is considered…
(1983). Understanding Susan Sontag's Critique of Communism and the Democratic Left: Confession? Conversion? Conundrum?. Provoking violent controversy, Susan Sontag's speech, "The Lesson of Poland," is an example of subversive rhetoric. Delivered at a February 6, 1982, show of support for the recently oppressed Polish people, Sontag's speech, like other modernist writing, did not seek a consensus with the audience, but challenged its whole scheme of values. Exhibiting the three characteristics of subversive rhetoric–anti-ethos speaking, the "devil theory" of persuasion, and pervasive irony–Sontag redefined Communism, equating it with fascism and giving it satanic traits; condemned the hypocrisy of capitalist nations; and criticized the Left for not taking an anti-Communist stand. She accused partisans–and, ironically, herself–of smug self-righteousness. Her speech was, in effect, an effort to shock captive minds out of old habits of thought and worn-out rhetoric. Her decision afterward to copyright her remarks and delete a portion from the text she authorized for publication,…
(1988). RCPE (Research Committee on Political Education Bulletin). No. 14-16, 1986. RCPE Bulletin, n14-16 1986. This bulletin, produced by Research Committee on Political Education (RCPE), contains three articles, two conference reports, book reviews, and membership information. "Fantasy and Vengeance: Observations on the Origins of Right-Wing Violence in Italy and in the United States" (L. Weinberg) examines the rise of neo-fascism in Italy and the United States and the formation of the U.S. group known as The Order of Brotherhood. Weinberg discusses the influence of fantasy fiction, written by William Pierce and J. R. R. Tolkien, on these organizations and compares the characteristics of Italians and U.S. citizens drawn to these groups. "The Political Socialization of Youth" (L. Boros; L. Keri) discusses this phenomena through social background, the internal processes, formal reinforcements, generational contradictions, and autonomy. "Proposals Concerning International Cooperation in the Field of Political Education" (H. Hooghoff) offers suggestions to improve…
(1991). World War II, Past and Present. Curriculum Development for History Teaching in the Netherlands. This paper discusses a project that was designed to explore Dutch student attitudes about World War II and how the War is portrayed in Dutch history textbooks. The project was undertaken as part of an effort to help teachers provide Dutch students with better insight into the causes, background, and aftermath of World War II; and to develop in the students a greater awareness of the values that were at stake. With the project, students come to understand that the values at stake during World War II are relevant to the expressions of racism and fascism that exist in the world today. The project includes an examination of the portrayal of World War II in seven Dutch textbooks. Ideas for helping students undertake historical research including primary sources are presented, as are ideas for helping teachers deal with various dilemmas they may face in teaching about World War II. Additional discussion questions that are addressed include: What image do students have of World War II?…
(1986). The World in Microcosm: From John Dewey to Global Perspectives. By tracing major ideas in the evolution of educational history between 1899 and 1985, the document takes readers from the traditional emphasis on citizenship training in social education to the current focus on teaching about the world community and the interdependence of its people and systems–cultural, ecological, economic, linguistic, racial, social, and technological. Beginning with the ideas of John Dewey, the evolution of formal education and the gradual inclusion of geography, cultural studies, and international education in social education are discussed. Effects on American education of the "Red Scare" in the 1920's, threats of fascism and nazism in the 1930's, and increasing global conflict in the 1940's are treated as part of the total picture leading to the current push for global perspectives in education. In conclusion emphasis is placed on the importance of taking the classroom (students) out into the real world–the global community. Appendices containing…
(1979). Influence of Response Sets on Authoritarian and Non-Authoritarian Attitude Scales. An attempt was made to examine authoritarian and non-authoritarian scales of social attitudes and their reversals as a function of: (1) content consistency; (2) acquiescence; and (3) a tendency to use extreme categories of response. The study questioned whether Adorno's fascism (F), dogmatism (D), ethnocentrism (E), and anti-Semitism (A-S) scales measure authoritarian attitudes or whether the responses obtained are systematically biased in some way unrelated to overt content variables. A pilot study, which involved 75 male and 75 female college students, did not elicit the expected factor structure. Instead, eight factors emerged which were later replicated in a sample of 250 male college students. The eight factors showed responses to the F and D scales to be highly determined by an agreement response bias, whereas E and A-S are largely content-determined. Distinct sets to employ extreme responses and to be equivocal about item responses also emerged. A separate factor representing…
(2001). Little Mosie from the Margaree: A Biography of Moses Michael Coady. This book examines the life of the Reverend Moses Michael Coady (1890-1959), a Roman Catholic priest who led the Antigonish Movement. During the Antigonish Movement, residents of the small maritime town of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, worked to achieve a nonviolent alternative to communism and fascism and to effect the social and economic transformation of their community through the formation of cooperatives, study clubs, and other forms of communal working and learning. The biography is based almost exclusively on original, primary documents, including materials from newspapers, obscure magazines, and a column called "The Anvil," which Reverend Coady wrote for a newspaper called the "Bulletin" (later called "The Maritime Co-operator"). The chapter titles are as follows: (1) "A New and Disturbing Presence"; (2) "On the Side of the Impossible"; (3) "Fields of Lost Opportunity"; (4) "Mobilizing the People for Enlightenment…
(1968). The Relationship Between Self-Concept and Certain Academic, Vocational, Biographical, and Personality Variables of Entering Male Freshmen at a Major Land Grant University. The relationship between the self-concepts and certain academic, vocational, biographical, and personality variables of freshmen students was examined to provide the basis for a more scientific approach to academic-vocational counseling. The subjects completed the Self-Rating Scale, the Fascism Scale, and the Military Ideology Scale, and a student information card. Scores from the Scholastic Aptitude Test were used for predictive and correlational purposes. The study revealed: (1) there appeared to be no significant differences in scholastic aptitudes between low self-concept students and high self-concept students; (2) the civilian students were more authoritarian than the military student; (3) there was no significant difference in the total mean self-concept scores of students classified as underachievers and those classified as overachievers; (4) no significant difference was noted between the total mean self-concept scores of students whose fathers attended college and those… [PDF]
(1969). Authoritarianism and Censorship: Attitudes and Opinions of Students in the Graduate Library School of Indiana University. A Report of an Exploratory Project Conducted as a Preliminary for a Proposed Nationwide Study of American Public Librarians and Intellectual Freedom. This study attempts to measure the attitudes toward intellectual freedom held by a group of future librarians and to correlate these findings with certain syndromes of authoritarianism as reported in "The Authoritarian Personality," by T. W. Adorno, and others (New York, Harper, 1950). The hypothesis is that graduate library students who express approval of or display a tendency to agree with restrictive controls on intellectual freedom will also concur with many of the attitudes characteristic of the authoritarian syndrome. If the hypothesis is correct, those students whose opinions score high on a censorship scale will also score high on the authoritarianism scale (Fascism or F scale). The questionnaire, distributed to students in December, 1968, contained 27 statements about intellectual freedom, book selection, and the role of the librarian interspersed with the 18 questions from the F scale test. The findings of the study support the hypothesis that library school… [PDF]
(1992). The Backlash against Political Correctness–A Perspective from a Canadian Composition Classroom. Politics has always made strange bedfellows, but now the public and the traditional academy are collaborating in an attack on the site of their uneasiness–what they label "political correctness as neo-fascism" and what one composition teacher calls "political correctness as challenge to ideological assumptions." In their attacks on "illiberal education," the voices of the orthodox backlash have seized upon the well-tempered, double-edged blade of political correctness and turned it into a clumsy cudgel. The central technique is publicly to discredit the efforts of many by the association with the excesses of a few. Another closely related tactic is the "slippery slope": wanting to include a non-canonical writer in a course will lead to the squeezing out of Shakespeare. Many analysts of the "political correctness" debate locate the intersection of values and language as the heart of the matter. The backlash against so-called… [PDF]