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Historians operating in the critical sense outlined here struggle for accuracy even
when events elude their initial expectations. Many of us operating in this critical
historical domain have often heard conservative critics argue that social theory
informed history allows particular worldviews to dictate their interpretation and their
narrative. This is the case only if one is an inept historian. Social theory in the critical
sense of the term helps historians formulate questions, rethink what counts as a
source, develop unique narrative styles (Parker, 1997; Gale 1999). (Villaverde,
Kincheloe, & Helyar, 2006, p. 321)
3.6.1 Use of primary sources.
This project is mindful that the primary sources selected constitute a partial range of available
curriculum materials for any one era. Partial for two reasons in particular; first, as surviving
sources of evidence available for selection and analysis. Given the research covers an almost
one hundred year time period, textbooks and syllabuses from the early 20 th century,
especially pre-1930, are difficult to locate due to being destroyed. This is not through any
wanton act of destruction, but due to school curriculum materials not being viewed as
valuable to keep. Second, there is a limit to how many textbooks can be analysed in this
project. Thus, especially in the mid to late part of the 20 th century, careful selection has been
made of which textbooks to include and exclude. Given that a process of selection has been
made of what to include and exclude for analysis, the evaluation or analysis of the sources
becomes significant. This is a point raised by E.H. Carr, which this project aims to address in
the ways described here:
…every journalist knows today that the most effective way to influence opinion is by
the selection and arrangement of the appropriate facts. It used to be said that facts
speak for themselves. This is, of course, untrue. The facts speak only when the
historian calls on them: it is he who decides to which facts to give the floor, and in
what order or context…The historian is necessarily selective. The belief in a hard
core of historical facts existing objectively and independently of the interpretation of
this historian is a preposterous fallacy… (1990, pp. 11- 12)
And, continuing with his fishmonger metaphor from earlier, Carr writes:
The facts are really not at all like fish on the fishmonger’s slab. They are like fish
swimming about in a vast and sometimes inaccessible ocean; and what the historian
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