Weaving a Fabric of World History? An Analysis of U.S. State High School World History Standards

Abstract

Understanding world history is critical for our development as citizens in our interconnected society. Yet it is not clear that the standards for world history courses in the U.S. foster understanding of the whole world or of its history. The authors argue that the high school world history standards mapped out by various states promulgate a Eurocentric orientation, particularly in the treatment of events before 1945. Moreover, even when they purport to use a global approach, state world history standards do little to implement a vision of world history that emphasizes global connections, cross-cultural interactions, world-systems, or the commonality of human experience. Examining the topics listed as important to know in U.S. state high school world history standards and the organization of these standards, the researchers found that although several state standards have been influenced by the thematic or chronological approaches advocated by world historians, with two exceptions, state standards conceptualize world history through a “western” rather than global lens.