Cultural politics and hegemonic citizenship within the standards: An analysis of the citizenship education standards within the National Standards for Civics and Government, New York's Learning Standards for Social Studies, and the New Jersey Social Stud

This study attempts to examine the dominant hegemony which uses citizenship education as a method of maintaining domination by stressing values and practices which reinforce the dominant hegemony. This study examines how hegemony is maintained through domination of the public by: creating and perpetuating values associated with domination, and the public's acceptance of domination and values associated with domination.; Hegemony, ideology and issues of power will be examined from a critical qualitative position. The language and intent of Goals 2000 will be examined as will the language, values and ideology present within the National Standards for Civics and Government, New York's Learning Standards for Social Studies and the New Jersey Social Studies Curriculum Framework. This analysis is guided by the following questions: Are the standards linked to a hegemony which seeks to maintain a stratified society that remains unchallenged and accepted by the people? What knowledge and values are reflected within the National Standards for Civics and Government, the New York State Standards on Citizenship Education and the New Jersey State Standards on Citizenship Education? Do these standards seek to maintain dominance over students and reproduce subordinate roles associated with a dominant culture? Do the standards fail to empower students with the necessary skills for active democratic participation and social change?...