rationale3

Rationale 3 - Personal Development Rationale:
//This rationale sees the primary purpose of social studies is to help students develop fully as individuals and as social beings. Its direct purpose is neither to reform society nor maintain status quo, but to foster the personal talents and character of each student.//
 * Critique this rationale and respond. What questions arise as you read this rationale**

It is a very broad statement. Who decides what an individual is? Why should the teacher be able to decide what being an individual is? A social being can mean different things in different cultures/countries. There are certain cultures that do not believe in individualism. It is saying "Everybody be yourself... kind of". It's trying to support new ideas and individualism without being ethnocentric. With this rationale, not all students will necessarily benefit from it. It has a lot to do with the teacher's values and beliefs.

As individuals, we're all a product of our culture as well as our individual talents. Everyone brings something different to their culture/community/society. At different times, different people benefit depending on the situation. The rationale is too general to give a direct answer...

-It is encouraging students to "be themselves" and stick to their beliefs -Is it telling you to be a certain way, a specific kind of individual, or can you discover yourself on your own? -How you are being taught depends on your teacher and their views/ attitudes -How do you go about teaching students to stay true to themselves while still fitting in with society -By focusing on the individual, you are not seeing how we are all related