“I’m on the Front Lines of Democracy”: Social Studies Teachers’ Experiences in a Hostile Political Climate

• In Event: Social Studies Under Threat: Teaching Through/Against Hostility, Hate, and Erasure

Abstract

This paper presents the findings of a phenomenological study of the experience of teaching social studies in North Carolina at a moment when legislation, curricular restrictions, and the villainization of teachers is at an all-time high. We asked: how is the current political climate impacting teachers’ experiences, and, what do social studies teachers see as the immediate and long-term impacts of this climate on their profession? Analysis of interviews and documents has indicated two key themes: teachers are grappling with opposition, defiance, and anger that has led to diverse forms of resistance, and the focus on restricted curricular topics has led to greater exploration of them and a sense of urgency about the importance of social studies education

Authors

• Victoria Newton, North Carolina State University

• Jonathan McGovern, North Carolina State University