Davis, Yeager, and Foster's volume will contribute to the current sea-change in approaches to history education. As schools move from teaching history as 'the facts,' to promoting more complex thinking about the past, the concept of 'historical empathy' will figure centrally in curriculum, instruction, and research. Historical Empathy and Perspective Taking in the Social Studies offers a diverse set of studies on how young people—and their teachers—make sense of the past, from Lee and Ashby's ground-breaking British research to a range of studies by both established and newer American researchers.
Peter Seixas, University of British Columbia Through descriptions of their own research initiatives, generous citation from the literature, and classroom vignettes, the authors make a compelling case for the power of entertaining the beliefs, goals, and values of others and appreciating the past as a very different place from the present. They whet the reader's appetite by showing how the power of evidence and historical context enable students to understand and appreciate why people acted as they did. For the historical researcher, teacher educator, and classroom teacher concerned with meaningful history, this is a must read.
Janet Alleman, Michigan State University This book collects enlightening work by leading researchers from the US and the UK. Recommended for graduate students, researchers, and professionals.
CHOICE
Empathy, a construct at the heart of historical understanding, is given fresh life in this exciting collection. With a careful balance of established researchers and rising stars, Historical Empathy and Perspective Taking in the Social Studies sets a new standard in research on history learning. I predict that it will become an indispensable reference for teachers, researchers, and curriculum developers for years to come.
Sam Wineburg, University of Washington