From Progressive Innovation to Peer Review Scandal: Rethinking the Rise and Fall of Man: A Course of Study

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 2:15 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Historical Inquiry

Abstract

The standard historical account treats Man: A Course of Study as the tragic story of an innovative, progressive curriculum that was thwarted by an ideological attack from the Christian right. This is wrong on three counts. First, MACOS’s reputation as innovative was asserted by its creators who touted its scientific rigor, but the reviews for MACOS’s National Science Foundation grant were misrepresented. Second, MACOS was not progressive. It was part of a Cold War effort to secure the dominance of Western ideals. Third, the NSF withdrew support for MACOS to avert a scandal over its peer review system, not to quell conservative ideological criticisms. This essay addresses these three misconceptions then articulates a new historical narrative for the MACOS controversy.

Authors

• Mark Hlavacik, University of North Texas

• Anna Yonas, University of Kansas