The “Family” Section in Current Elementary Social Studies Textbooks in China

Abstract

Family is the essential unit of society as well as the pupils’ cradle for growing up. It is particularly significant to help pupils understand “family”, then form a scientific concept of the family and develop a positive family sentiment. In the current primary school textbooks of “Morality and Life (Society)” (version of the People Education Press) “family” is an important theme. The textbooks embody the basic “student-oriented” idea of the new curriculum concept. And the contents are derived from life which are integrated with other disciplines that shows a sense of comprehensiveness. Yet the textbooks have certain limitations and deficiencies as well. For instance, the contents involving the family types lack variety; some activities introduced lack operability.