Seven forms of bias in America: History of Our Nation textbook

Bias in Textbooks

Davidson, J.W. And Stoff, M.B. (2010) America: History of Our Nation. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

The objective of this work is to review a K-12 textbook in terms of the seven forms of bias which include: (1) invisibility; (2) stereotyping; (3) imbalance and selectivity; (4) unreality; (5) fragmentation and isolation; (6) linguistic bias; and (7) cosmetic bias. Toward this end this work has chosen to relate the review of a textbook published by Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey entitled "America: History of Our Nation."

Invisibility

The invisibility bias is clear in Davidson and Stoffmans' (2010) textbook characterized by the lack of representation of women characters in the recounting of the history of the early Americas. Certainly, the women who assisted in settling the 'new land' should be mentioned as their role in this endeavor certainly was one of a critically important nature however, women are little mentioned in the historical accounts in this specific textbook. Also invisible in Davidson and Stoff's work are the women and white southerners who contributed positively to live in general and to dispelling the mindset that propelled such bias respectively.

II. Stereotyping

Stereotyping is clearly evidenced in this textbook and specifically on pages 876 and 877 in which it is stated "Many white southerners were adverse to segregation" which is an absolute perfect example of stereotyping white southerners during the time that desegregation was a current and heated issue. Many southerners can recall the stories of a husband, father, grandfather or other family member who served in the National Guard or for the Alabama State Troopers Association and who stood guard on the historical day that the first black student entered the all white school despite the attempt of then Alabama Governor, George C. Wallace blocking the entrance to the school. To state that many white southerners were against segregation is quite simply a blatant stereotypical representation of white southerners of that day.

III. Imbalance/Selectivity

On pages 662 and 663 of Davidson and Stoff's (2010) work it is stated that Mexican immigrants to the United States wanted to preserve their language and culture and that they therefore created barrios or ethnic Mexican-American neighborhoods. The historical account in this instance is biased in that it is an imbalanced and selective type of account of history. Mexican-American immigrants desired greatly to integrate into the American society in most cases and that which barred them was not their living arrangement in the form of having made their own choice but instead was living arrangements that were forced upon these individuals and families in what was in actuality segregation of neighborhoods based on race and ethnicity during that timeframe.

V. Fragmentation and Isolation

Davidson and Stoff (2010) commit the bias of fragmentation and isolation in their historical account of the southern states during the civil war. For example, Davidson and Stoff aver on pages 486 and 487 of the textbook that all southerners were slave owners when nothing could be more untrue. Documented history clearly indicates that most of the southern whites just prior to and during the Civil War were just as poor as were the slaves who were owned by a small minority of white southern plantation owners. In addition, among these owners of slaves were black plantation owners.

Davidson and Stoff also report isolated unnamed and non-dated incidents that were 'supposed' or 'assumed' to have occurred in which nameless white southerners, who were jobless "took out their anger on blacks" through torturing and lynching the black victims. The truth however, is that little of this is documented and for some few white southerners to actually own slaves this is clearly isolationism in historical accounting of that day.

VI. Linguistic Bias

Linguistic bias is evident in the work of Davidson and Stoff as they recount history from a biased point-of-view, which appears to be inherent in this particular textbook. The textbook at all times when discussing the issue of slavery appears to operate on the assumption that all southern whites were heinous slave owners and thus incapable of supporting justice and equality.

VII. Cosmetic Bias

The work of Davidson and Stoff contains elements of bias and the last of which is that of 'Cosmetic Bias'. Cosmetic bias is evidenced in that the cover of this book is red, white and blue, and features the Statue of Liberty, representative of liberty and freedom, when in reality, this book is replete with bias and bias-related information and disinformation. That bias and disinformation has been the focus of this work in writing.

Summary and Conclusion

Bias is evident in historical accounting and despite the intentionality or non-intentionality of textbook historical accounting bias, one having delivered the bias, that bias is then branded in the mind of the individual who is reading and studying the textbook. Davidson and Stoff fail to refrain from bias in their writing and at times appear to be consumed fully by the assumptions that have led to the contained and wide-range of bias in Davidson and Stoff's work in writing. Davidson and Stoff, while attempting to write a clearly equitable historical accounting may very well be impacted by a societal stance in which history that is at all negative is little reported.