An Analysis of Places in 5th Grade Social Studies Textbooks in Terms of Social Memory
Chapter from the book:
Temizkan,
Ö.
(ed.)
2025.
Social Memory and Social Studies Education in Türkiye: Cultural Transmission, Political Construction, and Civic Learning.
Synopsis
In this study, the reflections of places — as carriers of social memory — on Social Studies textbooks were examined based on the 2018 and 2024 curricula. The research employed the document analysis method, one of the qualitative research approaches. The sources analyzed in the study are the 5th-grade Social Studies textbook published in 2021, which was prepared according to the 2018 Social Studies Curriculum, and the 5th-grade textbook published in 2024, which was designed in accordance with the 2024 “Maarif Model” Social Studies Curriculum. The textbooks were subjected to content analysis using a social memory category framework. The findings revealed that textbooks are assigned a crucial role in transmitting social memory to future generations through the curriculum. It was also observed that the curriculum revisions directly influenced the textbooks, and the number of places -as transmitters of social memory- varied between the editions.
