Illustrations of LGBT-Inclusive Social Studies Curriculum From Utah and California

• In Event: 31.083 - Critical and Innovative Approaches to Democracy and Civic Practices in Social Studies Education

Abstract

This qualitative case study examined lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ)-inclusive social studies curriculum within different cultural and political contexts. The purpose of the study was to better understand how educators design and implement LGBT-inclusive curriculum in different contexts. Interviews, instructional materials, and media accounts from Utah and California were analyzed in order to illustrate these contexts and curricula. Findings indicate differences and similarities in examples from both states. Although Utah was found to have more constraints than California, social studies teachers from both states provided examples of how examining intersectionality can be used to deconstruct the oppressive social structures, which under represent and misrepresent LGBTQ and other marginalized individuals. Implications are interpreted through the lens of democratic education.

Author

• Steven Paul Camicia, Utah State University