Anthropological Perspectives on Citizenship Education.

Overview & Synopsis

An anthropological analysis of the phenomenon of citizenship education in the United States is summarized in this paper. Since school ethnography lacks depth in its use of anthropological theory, an attempt is made to overcome this deficiency by applying five theoretical approaches (evolutionary, functionalist, structuralist-functionalist, structuralist, and cultural ecology) to the study of citizenship education. The cultural diversity within a pluralistic society creates an amorphous condition for citizenship education and the continuous attempts to resolve the conflicts associated with this condition produce a form of dynamism which has high survival value in a rapidly changing society. It is suggested that a move be made from myth to the reality of citizenship education through more naturalistic research. As the individuals move from membership in a tribal society to membership in a modern state and a global community, their relationship to the state is altered dramatically. (BZ)