Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know [Paperback]

E.D. Hirsch Jr. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 12, 1988

In this forceful manifesto, Hirsch argues that children in the U.S. are being deprived of the basic knowledge that would enable them to function in contemporary society. Includes 5,000 essential facts to know.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Fascinating reading, particularly when we bear in mind thatit is an attempt to establish what all culturally literate Americans actually know, not what they ought to know.Mr. Hirsch's proposal merits serious consideration. --New York Times --This text refers to the CD-ROM edition.

From the Inside Flap

In this forceful manifesto, Hirsch argues that children in the U.S. are being deprived of the basic knowledge that would enable them to function in contemporary society. Includes 5,000 essential facts to know.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Vintage; 1st Vintage Books ed edition (April 12, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394758439
• ISBN-13: 978-0394758435
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.7 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,948 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected but OK, February 1, 2006

By 

Hoke (USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know (Paperback)

First off I think some reviewers are giving people the wrong idea of what this book has to offer. I think they meant to review the Dictionary of Cultural Literacy and not this book. After reading some of their reviews I purchased this book and it is not exactly what they led me to believe it was.

This book is made up of essentially two parts. The first part Hirsch put forth his theory that Americans are losing their ability to communicate effectively because they are lacking a common knowledge on certain core items. He sites back when people had a more standard education and were forced to read more because of a lack of television they were more commonly grounded in the same types of information.

To explain this theory simply he illustrates giving directions in a city when people assume you are a native to that city. The directions are simple because it is assumed one is familiar with certain landmarks (core knowledge). When giving directions to someone the believe to be a tourist, the directions get a lot more detailed because these people presumably lack the same knowledge of landmarks (core knowledge).

It is a very interesting theory and he backs it up with a lot of research. This book would be of great interest to anyone that is an educator by profession. It might be a little boring to anyone else. Some people have commented that this is a very conservative or right-leaning book. I really don't see that at all. He looks at this theory from the perspective of other cultures as well and the theory holds up. He does say that things people need to know to be culturally literate are often based on Western culture. This is true for the most part. He should not be vilified for pointing out the obvious. He doesn't say that one society is better than another. He just acknowledges that people of different cultures tend to have knowledge of certain things and that it is helpful to be familiar with those items.

The second part is an extensive list of cultural knowledge that experts have agreed on 90% of the time to be relevant. This is only a list. In no way does it define them or elaborate on them. That is what is supposedly spelled out in the Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, the book I thought I was getting.

If you are an educator or interested in educating get this book. If you are interested in getting an education then skip this one.

125 of 136 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another threat to America -- the cultural illiterate, July 13, 2002

By 

R. Tiedemann "Sunnye" (Bellevue, NE USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know (Paperback)

Put this on your To-Read-No-Matter-What list.

Hasn't the popularity of "Dummies" books raised a red flag anywhere? What does that say about the average American reader's view of him/herself? Do we sense that we're educationally lacking?

Too many of America's young people do not have, because they haven't been taught, the knowledge they need to preserve the exceptional way of life they've inherited. They know Harry Potter and West Wing but not the Peloponnesian Wars or who said, "To be or not to be." They are culturally illiterate.

Cultural literacy is the background information we need to know in order to understand and to communicate in our society. Without it we wouldn't understand what a reviewer says when he likens Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman" to "Cinderella" or when a pundit says the environment is a politician's Achilles heel.

"To be culturally literate," Hirsch says, "is to possess the basic information needed to thrive in the modern world." Readers must understand the writer's unspoken "systems of associations."

I've taught college-level writing classes and have been astounded to meet students who have never read a book, who don't understand the simplest references to classical literature and who, frankly, don't care.

This ignorance threatens our very existence as a free nation. One of the most important points Hirsch makes is the need for the average citizen to understand enough science to comprehend debates about environmental and political issues. He cites the debate over the Strategic Defense Initiative and says of the voting public, "...their education should have provided them with the general facts and principles needed to understand the terms of the debate -- how a satellite works, what a laser is and can do, and under what conditions such a system would be likely to succeed or fail." He neglects to mention the historical, social and political backgrounds that enter into the debate but his point applies to those as well.

The highest stakes are involved here. The last election was a primary example of the ignorance of the American voter. Many still don't understand what happened and are merrily led down a primrose path of misunderstanding by an equally Constitutionally (as in the US Constitution)uninformed press. Further, and even sadder, they don't bother to find out!

Read CULTURAL LITERACY. Absorb it. Make it your mantra and work to see that the next generation of Americans learns the background of their culture as well as the history, sociology and science they need to protect our way of life at the ballot box.

57 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Flawed list but dead-on central thesis: a must read!, May 31, 2001

By 

J. Remington "John Remington" (Adams, Oregon USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know (Paperback)

A great irony, while reading several of the negative criticisms of Hirsch's controversial position, occurs when one considers that these critics would simply be unable to attack without being the embodiment of Hirsch's central postion: that reaching the higher levels of Bloom's taxonomy requires a set body of knowledge. Analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating information is literally impossible without first knowing, comprehending and applying.

A fine example is in the medical profession where the first year focuses narrowly on the rote memorization of the body. Without a set knowledge (knowing) of anatomy and the related maladies it is impossible to make effective diagnosis (analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating).

As an educator I have experienced first hand the industry driven mandate to produce a more effective group of critical and creative thinkers. In the process we have tragically discovered that such an endeavor is impossible without first teaching content. The kernal of Hirsch's position is that critical and creative thinking are absolutely intertwined with specific content. We as educators, parents and members of society are cheating our children and our futures if we fail to mutually and communaly provide a central frame of reference (or schema). Without such a frame of reference, contribution to and therefore extension of our culture will become but a distant memory.

We have been asked to focus upon the process of guess and go and the cult of the "How did you arrive at that solution?" over the precise "what are we putting into their heads". This is of course saying nothing of the cult of the self esteem. The result? I have seen the result as manifested in declining test scores, a rise of self absorbtion and an ever narrowing of world awareness.

Hirsch is not an elitist, in fact he strongly asserts (repeatedly) that it is indeed providing all students (and one of the beautiful facts of American Public Education is that "All" means ALL) with the same basic frame of reference enables them to take control over their lives and contribute actively as producers as opposed to passive consumers.

Having a common base of knowledge unites us all and crosses all boundries. It is that common fram of reference that defines our culture and truly creates a pluralistic society.

Hirsch provides plenty of qualitative and quantitative evidence to support his postion. His Bibliography and related sources are also most helpful.

Coming from a state that uses a prescribed reading assessment, I found his analysis of a reading selection describing Lee's surrender at Appomattox most illustrative of the need for more content based education. Hirsch and his fellow researchers found that the test takers were not able to construct (higher levels of Bloom) a great amount meaning due to their ignorance of even a basic knowlege of the American Civil War.

As an acting teacher, I have found that the individuals who have the greater knowledge of history, art, literature and general culture are able to produce far more nuanced and complete peformance. There is no way to stage a compelling play set during World War II without first researching the period.

Where Hirsch has drawn the most criticism is in his list (fleshed out in greater detail in his equally fascinating "Dictionary of Cultural Literacy"). In this list, Hirsch prescribes what he defines as the core knowledge. And of course any time someone goes out on a limb to make such a proclimation, there will be great holes (I believe Steinbeck is far more important - he isn't listed- than Norman Mailer - he is). But at least, Hirsch provides a starting point for creating specific curriculumn. Again, attacking Hirsch's critics, how does one know what isn't on the list if they haven't first learned that concept.

At any rate, whether one will agree with Hirsch or disagree, "Cultural Literacy" is a must read.