Article Critique

Folk Dress, Fiestas, and Festivals: How is Mexico

Portrayed in U.S. Primary Grade Social Studies

Textbooks?

Rationale

Mexican immigrants and descendants consist of a lot percentage of students in U.S., especially in Texas.

It’s necessary for American students to learn more about Mexico.

Gap

The contents in past textbooks are superficial.

No comprehensive analyses of textbook about Mexico for primary grades have been published.

Context

Texas state social studies curriculum standards is going to be revised.

(Hope this research could give the government recommendations.)

Question

1.How is Mexico represented in social studies textbooks for grades 1-3?

2.What suggestions are provided for teachers related to teaching about Mexcio in social studies textbooks for grades 1-3?

(pp. 25-26)

Method

Constant comparative method of analysis

3 series of textbooks mainly used in Texas

Qualitative Research

Harcort-Brace

Scott-Foresman

Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(pp. 25-26)

Method

Constant comparative method of analysis

Search everything about Mexico

Qualitative Research

textual passages photos

mapsillustrations

tables

charts

captionsreferences

teacher’s edition notes

Method

Constant comparative method of analysis

Finally create 4 categories

Qualitative Research

holidays Mexcio people and heros

contested history

Mexican-U.S. relation

Theoratical Framework

1. Cross-cultural understanding

2. National relationship

(pp. 26-27)

Similar to Su’s (2007) approach during a study of Taiwanese textbooks from 1978-1995, we explored two themes to address the research questions.

Findings

photographs and

illustrationsMexican Food

DanceFestival

stereotype刻板印象

Findings

holidays

Cinco de Mayo1862/05/05

Independence Day1810/09/16

v.s. v.s.

著重在節慶、慶典，忽略其背後帶有愛國精神的價值觀和歷史脈絡。

Findings

Mexico people and heros

Mexico farmer

more than their people in cities

Mexico worker

藍領工人、農民工的景象

Findings

Diego Rivera (muralist)

Indigenous people(Aztec)

Ancient Americans more than other heros

忽視當地原住民文化與現今墨西哥人的連結；當代人物重畫家而少有墨國偉人的介紹。

Findings

contested history

There was NO “TEXAS” that time!

v.s.

¡ Texans against the Mexicans!

¡ Americans against the Mexicans!

U.S.-centric

以美國為中心的論述，沒有還原到當時的歷史脈絡

Findings

Mexican-U.S. relation

Use of maps

U.S. to be the top over Mexico

Economics

Agricultural products

Natural resources

National or state borders

Human migration

美國為中心，自我優越的角色

Conclusions

superficial

U.S.-centric

stereotype

Recommendations

Balance between old/now, holidays, people

What are considered important by Mexicans

Correct historical frame/perspective

Reflection

Correct historical perspective

Reflection

Textbooks are powerful “message senders”

What ideology [͵aɪdɪˋɑlədʒɪ]

behind those textbooks we still ignore?

Reflection

1. 「理論框架」的索引來自台灣研究，但該研究中 並未提出兩個觀點。

2. 研究方法缺乏詳盡的敘述說明，特別的範疇的產生方式， 亦會影響。

That’s it!603750190 Nick 2014/12/05