Comparative historian Marc Ferro claims that the largest discrepancy

Question

Comparative historian Marc Ferro claims that the largest discrepancy in knowledge between what academic historians and what the average citizen knows about history is found in the United States. How has this situation come about? Certainly the problem does not lie with the secondary literature. Whereas in the past, American historians were handicapped by secondary literature that was clearly biased towards a European viewpoint, since the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s, the secondary literature in American history has become far more comprehensive. And it cannot be simply a matter of space constraints; the average high school history textbook is well over a thousand pages in length.

One theory holds that American history textbooks are simply the socializing instruments of a controlling elite. The stratifcation of American society is preserved, according to this theory, by the creation of what Marx termed “false consciousness.” The theory holds that the way people think about their society and their history is crucial to maintaining the status quo. If the power elites come to believe that their success is the deserved product of their hard work and ingenuity, then there will be no desire to change the system. Similarly, if the lower classes are taught that their plight is solely due to their failings, they will be more likely to accept their fate and less likely to rise up in revolution. Griffn and Marciano contend that history textbooks promote nothing more than hegemony.

Many educational theorists share this viewpoint, which in their discipline is often known as critical theory. Proponents of this view, including Kozol, Friere, and Giroux, argue that the dominant classes would never create or foster an educational system that taught subordinate classes how to critically evaluate society and the injustices it contains. As long as schools serve to transmit culture, the power elite will never allow any real reform in the system.

It is all too easy to blame citizens’ poor understanding of American history on some shadowy coterie of cultural aristocracy. But critical theory and other theories that lay the blame for American ignorance of history on the doorstep of the elites cannot explain their own success. Is it not a paradox that critical theory scholarship dominates its feld? If the titans of society had as much power as the critical theorists contend, they would surely censor or marginalize the works of social scientists in this feld. Furthermore, graduates of “elite” preparatory schools are exposed to alternative interpretations of history, subversive teachers, and unfltered primary source materials more frequently than are students at public institutions. This would seem to indicate that the powerbrokers have little control over what happens at their very own schools, let alone far flung rural schools or schools deep in urban territory. The real culprit may be something not as insidious as a vast upper class conspiracy, but more along the lines of pernicious forces working at a highly local level. Almost half of the states have textbook adoption boards consisting of members of the community. These boards review and recommend what books are taught in neighborhood schools. And because textbook publishers are frst and foremost seeking to maximize proft, it is these local boards that they must appease.    1 
 1. According to the passage, proponents of critical theory believe which of the following?

I. The creation of a false consciousness is necessary to preserve the stratifcation of American society.
II. It is not in the interests of the powerful classes of society to engender critical reflection among the majority of citizens.
III. Members of the upper classes may be freely taught alternative interpretations of history, but not members of the subordinate classes.

A. I only
B. II only
C. I and II only
D. II and III only
E. I, II, and III

2  
 2. It can be inferred from the passage that

A. Marx was an early proponent of critical theory
B. textbooks are not solely designed as teaching instruments
C. the secondary literature on American history is no longer biased
D. textbook publishers do not take the views of the power elite into account
E. under the current system, real education reform is impossible

3  
 3. The author of the passage suggests that critical theory

A. is simply another means by which the power elite preserves the stratifcation of American society
B. does not contain any of the same biases which have appeared in the secondary literature prior to the civil rights movement
C. is the predominant theoretical framework used by historians to explain the discrepancies in the historical knowledge of the average citizen
D. is not unique in its attempts to attribute Americans’ poor knowledge of history to the machinations of a particular class of individuals
E. is unable to explain how the power elites in society are able to create a false consciousness among the citizens

4  
 4. The passages indicate that Griffn and Marciano

A. are among the leading critical theorists
B. believe that the lower classes may revolt
C. see textbooks as tools of domination
D. hold many of the same views as Kozol, Friere, and Giroux
E. believe textbook publishers should not make proft a priority

Sajjad1994 · Answer

OE

1. According to the passage, proponents of critical theory believe which of the following?

In order to answer this question, you must understand what critical theory is. The third paragraph mentions critical theory directly, and states that its proponents believe the dominant classes would never create or foster an educational system that taught subordinate classes how to critically evaluate society and the injustices it contains. This most closely matches statement II. Eliminate  choice (A) .

The second paragraph is also important because the author states that critical theorists share the views of the theorists mentioned in the second paragraph. These theorists hold that the stratifcation of American society is preserved...by the creation of what Marx termed false consciousness...The theory holds that the way people think about their society and their history is crucial to maintaining the status quo. This matches statement I. Eliminate  choices (B)  and  (D) .

The third choice is incorrect. The author mentions this point in the critique of critical theory in the fnal paragraph.  Choice (C)  is the best answer. 
 
  Answer: C

Sajjad1994 · Answer

OE

2. It can be inferred from the passage that

Choice (B)  is supported by the fnal lines of the passage, which indicate that textbook publishers are first and foremost seeking to maximize proft. Tus, textbooks are not just teaching instruments, but money makers.

Choice (A)  is not supported by the passage. The theorists use Marx’s term, but that doesn’t mean he was a member of the school.

Choice (C)  is wrong; the passage simply says the literature is more comprehensive. Tat’s not the same as saying it is no longer biased.

Choice (D)  is not supported by the passage. Although the author rejects the idea that the power elites are in control of textbooks, it may still be true that publishers take their views into account.

Choice (E)  is put forth by the critical theorists, but it is not necessarily true. 
 
  Answer: B

Sajjad1994 · Answer

OE

3. The author of the passage suggests that critical theory  
 
In the fnal paragraph, the author states, but critical theory and other theories that lay the blame for American ignorance of history on the doorstep of the elites cannot explain their own success. Thus, there must be other theories similar to critical theory and critical theory is not unique, which supports  choice (D) .

There is no information to support either  choice (A)  or  (B) .

Choice (C)  is wrong because critical theory is used by educational theorists, not historians.

Choice (E)  is not supported by the passage. 
 
  Answer: D

Sajjad1994 · Answer

OE

4. The passages indicate that Griffn and Marciano

The passage’s discussion of Grifn and Marciano is limited to a single sentence: Grifn and Marciano contend that history textbooks promote nothing more than hegemony. The choice that most closely matches this sentence is choice  (C).  The other choices are not mentioned in conjunction with Griffn and Marciano. 
 
  Answer: D

Comparative historian Marc Ferro claims that the largest discrepancy

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