Critical Race Theory and Social Studies Futures: From the Nightmare of Racial Realism to Dreaming Out Loud

This book explores critical race theory (CRT) and its application in teaching social studies, addressing systemic issues, classroom practices, and envisioning a future for social studies that centers Black futures and liberation.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 25 November 2022
Publisher: Teachers' College Press

Provides a roadmap for educators and scholars seeking to integrate critical race theory into their teaching and research.
In the face of a rapidly changing world, it is imperative that we impart the truth about history. This comprehensive volume brings together a team of esteemed critical social studies scholars of color, along with their co-conspirators, who share both their nightmares and dreams for the future. The authors employ critical race theory (CRT) and its diverse branches and offshoots to delve deeper into the enduring presence of racism in the teaching of social studies.

The book's first section, aptly titled "A Dream Deferred," outlines the pervasive systemic issues and the strategies employed by the field and national organizations to maintain a racially neutral stance despite the biases that permeate curriculum, disciplines, and society at large. The second section, "Racial Realities in Classroom Spaces," explores the various ways scholars and educators are applying CRT in PreK–12 educational environments. In the third section, "Possibilities of Praxis," chapter authors critically reflect on their own experiences and anecdotes using CRT to engage with young people and aspiring teachers. The final section, "Dreaming of Social Studies Futures," presents the contributors' visions for the future of social studies, envisioning an unapologetically Indigenous field that centers Black futures and liberation, free from the violence that has plagued the field and communities for centuries.

This book offers a wealth of race-focused analyses from a diverse range of perspectives and contexts related to social studies education. It highlights innovative approaches, branches, and future directions of critical race theories and methods. Furthermore, it explores how race and racism have been situated within the field of social studies since the publication of Gloria Ladson-Billings's seminal edited volume, Critical Race Theory Perspectives on the Social Studies, in 2003.

For educators and scholars seeking to integrate critical race theory into their teaching and research, this book serves as a valuable roadmap. It provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the historical roots.

Weight: 340g
Dimension: 155 x 228 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780807767665