Representations Of The Holocaust In Texas World History Textbooks From 1947 To 1990

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the topic of the Holocaust as represented in the World History textbooks adopted by the state of Texas from the adoption cycle of 1947 to the 1984 adoption cycle. Texas textbooks were chosen due to the state's influence in the textbook industry due to its population and adoption process. The textbooks are analyzed as cultural artifacts which, when analyzed, can give a deeper understanding of the society into which they were produced. The textbooks were analyzed in relation to Holocaust scholarship and Holocaust related cultural events and productions which were relevant to the period during which the textbooks were produced. The analysis of these textbooks depicts a society in which textbooks told only the story which had the least debate and which upheld the earlier, accepted narrative.