The political socialization of elementary school children during the Gulf War of 1991

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of the Gulf War held by one class of fifth grade students. The study analyzed that part played by the public school in the development of these perceptions. The study was conducted using one fifth grade class in a public school in a rural county in the southeastern United States. The period of the study was from February through May, 1991. Qualitative research methods were used including participant observation, formal and informal interviews and artifact collection. The major findings included:

1. The public school served as an important agent in the socialization of students during the Gulf War as both a source of Information and in the development of patriotic attitudes.

2. Despite numerous discussions of the war in the classroom, the students had little accurate information about what went on during the Gulf War.

3. The students had strong opinions about the war and expressed both a concern about the consequences of the war and a general confusion about what happened there.

4. Patriotic events In the school overshadowed any attempts at having the children think critically about the war. The lack of critical analysis impeded the students in developing a coherent understanding of the war.

5. The failure to deal with conflict during the war is part of a larger pattern of the absence of dealing with conflict in general in the classroom and in the curriculum.