ABSTRACT
What counts as social studies can be confusing. Plural purposes (and people who believe ardently in them) have long marked the eld. At its base, social studies is about citizenship education, but educators disagree on meanings for “good” citizenship. Is it the mastery of content and skills from social science disciplines, especially from history? Is it the ability to make wise collective decisions as school, community, national, and world citizens? Is a citizen a person of good character who stays informed, obeys laws, pays taxes, and votes regularly? Is it a person who participates comfortably in democratic interchange, from classroom meetings, to neighborhood associations, to city governance, and beyond? Is it a person who ghts for change when he/she sees unfair treatment or unjust policies? Is it some combination of these attributes?
