Symbolic Considerations: A Critical Decision in the History of the National Council for the Social Studies

The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS or Council), established in 1921, was buffeted by demands for change in the late 1960s and early 1970s. From its birth, this professional association had served as a "big tent" for various social studies constituencies, disciplines, and philosophical orientations. It was a "stable," "solid," and "traditional" organization, which fostered consensus rather than providing dynamic leadership for the social studies field. As the Council approached the half-century mark, there was a growing frustration with the association's establishment that paralleled the societal discontent of this period. This article presents a critical decision in the history of the National Council for the Social Studies.