My MA Thesis Presentation

In the 14 minute video below, I present my thesis on the importance of contextualization skills and contextualizing prejudice in history classes, with a focus on ancient civilizations.  I discuss a wide range of topics, most of which deserve a lecture of their own.  A few could use an entire workshop.     

I would be happy to send the thesis to anyone who would like to read it.  The abstract reads,

This study analyzes the historical thinking skill of contextualization and argues that contextualization is the optimal tool for helping students understand prejudice.  It is argued that contextualization alleviates the natural psychological tendency to read one’s own social world into the past and into other cultures.  This natural psychological tendency inhibits the ability to recognize the perspectives of others, which is necessary for the development of empathy.  Contextualization is then linked to the psychological literature on the development of prejudice in childhood and adolescence, and framed as a way to help alleviate prejudice as well as understand it.  The study closes with an analysis of a lesson structured to help sixth graders learn to contextualize prejudice in ancient China.