Ruth Sandwell – författare

Recent years have witnessed a breakdown in consensus about what history should be taught within Canadian schools; there is now a heightened awareness of the political nature of deciding whose history is, or should be, included in social studies and history classrooms. Meanwhile, as educators are debating what history should be taught, developments in educational and cognitive research are expanding our understanding of how best to teach it. To the Past explores some of the political, cultural and educational issues surrounding what history education is, and why we should care about it, in the twenty-first century in Canada. Originally broadcast in the fall of 2002 on the CBC Radio program Ideas, the lectures that comprise this volume not only address how history is taught in Canadian classrooms, but also explore strands within larger discussions about the meaning and purposes of history more generally. Contributors show how Canadians are demonstrating a new interest in what scholars have termed 'historical consciousness' or collective memory, through participation in a wide range of cultural activities, from visiting museums to watching the History Channel. Canadian adults and children alike seem to be seeking answers to questions of identity, meaning, community and nation in their study of the past. Through this series of essays, readers will have the opportunity to explore some of the political and ethical issues involved in this emerging field of Canadian 'citizenship through history' as they learn about public memory and broadly defined history education in Canada.

Recent years have witnessed a breakdown in consensus about what history should be taught within Canadian schools; there is now a heightened awareness of the political nature of deciding whose history is, or should be, included in social studies and history classrooms. Meanwhile, as educators are debating what history should be taught, developments in educational and cognitive research are expanding our understanding of how best to teach it. To the Past explores some of the political, cultural and educational issues surrounding what history education is, and why we should care about it, in the twenty-first century in Canada. Originally broadcast in the fall of 2002 on the CBC Radio program Ideas, the lectures that comprise this volume not only address how history is taught in Canadian classrooms, but also explore strands within larger discussions about the meaning and purposes of history more generally. Contributors show how Canadians are demonstrating a new interest in what scholars have termed 'historical consciousness' or collective memory, through participation in a wide range of cultural activities, from visiting museums to watching the History Channel. Canadian adults and children alike seem to be seeking answers to questions of identity, meaning, community and nation in their study of the past. Through this series of essays, readers will have the opportunity to explore some of the political and ethical issues involved in this emerging field of Canadian 'citizenship through history' as they learn about public memory and broadly defined history education in Canada.

Before the Second World War, Canada was a rural country. Unlike most industrializing countries, Canada’s rural population grew throughout the century after 1871 – even if it declined as a proportion of the total population. Rural Canadians also differed in their lives from rural populations elsewhere. In a country dominated by a harsh northern climate, a short growing season, isolated households and communities, and poor land, they typically relied on three ever-shifting pillars of support: the sale of cash crops, subsistence from the local environment, and wage work off the farm.Canada’s Rural Majority is an engaging and accessible history of this distinctive experience, including not only Canada’s farmers, but also the hunters, gardeners, fishers, miners, loggers, and cannery workers who lived and worked in rural Canada. Focusing on the household, the environment, and the community, Canada’s Rural Majority is a compelling classroom resource and an invaluable overview of this understudied aspect of Canadian history.

Before the Second World War, Canada was a rural country. Unlike most industrializing countries, Canada’s rural population grew throughout the century after 1871 – even if it declined as a proportion of the total population. Rural Canadians also differed in their lives from rural populations elsewhere. In a country dominated by a harsh northern climate, a short growing season, isolated households and communities, and poor land, they typically relied on three ever-shifting pillars of support: the sale of cash crops, subsistence from the local environment, and wage work off the farm.Canada’s Rural Majority is an engaging and accessible history of this distinctive experience, including not only Canada’s farmers, but also the hunters, gardeners, fishers, miners, loggers, and cannery workers who lived and worked in rural Canada. Focusing on the household, the environment, and the community, Canada’s Rural Majority is a compelling classroom resource and an invaluable overview of this understudied aspect of Canadian history.