A teacher recently asked some of her colleagues the question,"What covers - Historic and Contemporary Societies? The object is the student has to locate major historical and contemporary societies on maps on globes."
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An introduction to the study of sociey, culture, then and nowVoted for by cafegroundzero.
Have you and the students gone over the definitions of society, culture, ethnicity, nationality? This would be fundamental within the scope of the question and possible answers.
I have seen maps, some of them in the National Geographic publications, which show the areas and boundaries of differing societies. Maybe you can look there.
I would also consider looking into some tomes on both anthropology and sociology.
Here's an idea: get acetate sheet and dry erase fine point markers. Let the students do a project which involves maybe their ward, district, town, city, county, or even state. Then let them create a set of templates, consisting of overlay sheets of this acetate, where they denote where the various societies live and or work. My own understanding of societies includes but is not limited to ethnic groups, class--i.e. working class, welfare and unemployed, homeless, middle class, wealthy, religious affiliates, party affiliates, homosexuals(1), unmarried singles (2), Goths, and hunters.
As to history, one problem with the way we teach it is to teach history as if it is a "dead" topic. Nothing could be farther from the truth. In at least two ways, history is very dynamic and even changing. For one, we are in this very moment making history. As you read, as I type these words, we are interacting in the synthesis of "our story," which when told will become many different, some more, some less, "histories." Some will be more rigourous, some more fantastical.
Secondly, history is continually being revised according to whom controls the means of production of these histories. Whenever there is a revolution or war, rebelling or invading forces attempt to seize the radio and tv stations, either control or shut down the presses, and so forth. That is how very important is the control of the media, that the media is socializing everyone who attends to it, inculcating us in any history that is taught, if it is indeed taught and not ignored.
(1) For example, in some cities, there are neighbourhoods which tend to include more gays and lesbians, either as domeciles, or for the night life, or both.
(2) In Memphis, Tennessee, there was a 3/4 mile stretch of boulevard which was called "Sin Alley" because it had mostly unmarried singles, including college students, working unmarried or divorced adults, gays and lesbians. They had their own "society" which tended to socialize after work in bars, coffee houses, shops, and clubs.
Before I close this topic, I will reiterate the importance of a rigourous and comprehensive study of contemporary and historical societies. Contemporary systems of education have ignored, through either negligence or bias, or both, the teaching of the existence and importance of certain societies. Students often have a suspicion that there is something being withheld ("we're not stupid, ya know!") and respond with various degrees of apathy or rebelliousness. It is my humble opinion that the very survival or at least the effectiveness of public education depends on a more authentic and responsive dedication to the truths we have hidden away from each other. We must again place justice, honor, truth, mercy, and forgiveness in a place of the utmost importance in our range of values.
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