Characteristics and Implications of the Historical Debates on MACOS

This paper examined the historical debates on MACOS (Man: A Course of Study), which was the social studies curriculum for 5th graders, used in the US around the year 1970. This article aimed to understand the nature of the debates and draw lessons for curriculum research. The birth of this curriculum was related to the Sputnik shock, leading Jerome Bruner to get involved in development projects. However, it was short-lived due to fierce conflicts with fundamentalists. This article discusses (a) what made MACOS into a debate and an opposition movement, (b) what kind of sociological meanings we can derive from it, and (c) what the implications of this historical debate are for curriculum developers. First, by examining related literature, this paper reviews the evolution of debates from grassroots resistance to nationwide struggles. It examines the characteristics of this debate in light of three aspects: the educational, political, and anthropological domains. As a result, this paper suggests (a) to be careful of overconfidence in the hypothesis of the so-called “little scientists,” (b) to possibly regard MACOS as a representative case for re-contextualization of curriculum, (c) that it is in line with today’s debates around multiculturalism, and (d) to reappraise this curriculum in today’s context as different from its social standing in the 1970s.