Founding documents-namely, the 1916 Report on Social Studies-is the
focus of John Dewey and the Dawn of Social Studies: Unraveling
Conflicting Interpretations of the 1916 Report which examines the Report
in order to determine how it has been interpreted and regarded over
time. The underlying question involved is: "Which interpretation, or
interpretations, most embodies the intent, goals, and purpose of the
1916 Committee?" Key members of the 1916 committee have been identified
for extended research and analysis. One additional individual frequently
quoted throughout the Report, John Dewey, received special consideration
owing to his stature and influence in the U.S. and throughout the world.
The wide variety of interpretations was examined within an
organizational framework utilized to discuss and analyze the broad
spectrum of interpretations that exist. This examination encompassed the
existing viewpoints, the meaning and intent of the 1916 committee, as
well as the social and political aspects of the era. The overarching
intent of founding documents, in this case the 1916 Report, is to make
sense of the various scholarly interpretations and offer insights as to
whether or not a consensus of opinion among scholars exists. Like all
important founding documents whose authors have long since passed
through the veil of history, but whose work continues to influence, we,
as scholars, social studies and history educators, and curriculum and
instruction researchers, want to know whose ideas are at the forefront
of social studies-one of the most contested academic fields of study in
America.
