The Eurocentric Canon: Why Are We Teaching Students in South Carolina to Stay Inside the Box?
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
English
Abstract
South Carolina public high schools are not required to teach World Literature, and therefore, many of them do not teach anything other than canonized literature. While many public high schools in South Carolina provide an in-depth literary education according to the literary canon, or provide a small sampling of diverse literature from around the world, most public high schools in South Carolina do not provide as diverse or representative of a literary education as is necessary in today’s world. In 2018, students are expected to be culturally aware, accepting, and understanding of diverse cultures and ways of thinking, but they are not always prepared or educated enough to engage in discussion or to create their own thoughts and opinions on diversity in the world. Many students are also unable to find enjoyment or engagement in literature because they are not aware of pieces of literature with which they can identify. This problem is occurring because teachers are teaching the pieces that they were taught in high school and that they have always taught; they are afraid of the backlash they will receive if they were to change, and they are focused on teaching to prepare students for tests, but not really focused on teaching our students to be informed of the world. In order to fix this problem, South Carolina public schools should provide a well-rounded literary education that provides background and representation of diverse cultures by including and teaching lots of different literary pieces in the English classroom.
Honors Thesis Committee
Amanda Campbell, M.A; Allan Nail, Ph.D; and Kara Beasley, M.A.
Start Date
20-4-2018 1:45 PM
The Eurocentric Canon: Why Are We Teaching Students in South Carolina to Stay Inside the Box?
DIGS 222
South Carolina public high schools are not required to teach World Literature, and therefore, many of them do not teach anything other than canonized literature. While many public high schools in South Carolina provide an in-depth literary education according to the literary canon, or provide a small sampling of diverse literature from around the world, most public high schools in South Carolina do not provide as diverse or representative of a literary education as is necessary in today’s world. In 2018, students are expected to be culturally aware, accepting, and understanding of diverse cultures and ways of thinking, but they are not always prepared or educated enough to engage in discussion or to create their own thoughts and opinions on diversity in the world. Many students are also unable to find enjoyment or engagement in literature because they are not aware of pieces of literature with which they can identify. This problem is occurring because teachers are teaching the pieces that they were taught in high school and that they have always taught; they are afraid of the backlash they will receive if they were to change, and they are focused on teaching to prepare students for tests, but not really focused on teaching our students to be informed of the world. In order to fix this problem, South Carolina public schools should provide a well-rounded literary education that provides background and representation of diverse cultures by including and teaching lots of different literary pieces in the English classroom.
