IB TOK class: Growing list of books targeted in America’s school culture wars
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
This article picked by a teacher with suggested questions is part of the Financial Times free schools access programme. Details/registration here.
Specification:
Teacher themes Language & literature, group 6 subjects, global politics, and anyone looking at censorship in democratic states.
IB DP TOK themes & AOKs The arts, Politics, Language, Human sciences
Relevant BQ Values
Key terms and ideas Culture wars, Inappropriate, Harmful, Political wedge issue, Censorship, Banning vs. curating, Responsible
Investigating Issues Freedom of expression
Exhibition prompt IAP-29 (owns)
Click to read the article below and answer the questions:
Growing list of books targeted in America’s school culture wars
What is the extent to which young people’s reading habits should be controlled, such as being able to access books in public and school libraries?
Should they be able to read any publication? If there should be limits, how should they be decided?
What is currently happening in many states in the USA in terms of limiting the circulation of certain publications?
In what way did the Covid pandemic influence this movement?
Whose opinion on this issue carries more authority: artists and writers such as Art Spiegelman, Margaret Atwood and Neil Gaiman, or those pushing for the removal of publications?
Overall, do you think the removal of books from libraries and schools is ‘aggressive censorship’ or ‘responsible curation’, and how might your answer depend on your political perspective?
Michael Dunn, theoryofknowledge.net
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