Social studies using literary products in teaching values: The example of Montaigne's essays

The essential element of societies that exist in a sense of unity and solidarity is their values. This study examines and interprets the inclusion of 18 values determined in the Social Studies Curriculum in Montaigne's Essays. Document analysis, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in this study. The process of obtaining information about the targeted phenomena by examining written materials is called document analysis. The study's data source is Michel De Montaigne's work titled Essays. The content analysis method was used to analyse the study data. The main goal of content analysis is to define the data set and discover and interpret its real meanings. In this context, the work "Essays" was analysed regarding the values of the Social Studies Curriculum. The findings section interprets the common values in the Social Studies Curriculum and the work of Essays. As a result of the research, it was determined that the work "Essays" contains all the values of the Social Studies Curriculum. It was determined that the values of justice and honesty were mostly included in the work, followed by freedom, scientificity, aesthetics, patriotism, industriousness, giving importance to family unity, respect, benevolence, love, responsibility, saving, equality, peace, sensitivity, independence, and solidarity. As a result of the study, the highest values of justice and honesty were associated with Montaigne's law education at Toulouse University. On the other hand, the essay is a sincere and candid literary genre. As the creator of this genre, Montaigne gave importance to honesty by trying to recognise himself in his work. The fact that the values of freedom, scientificity, and aesthetics were intensively treated in the work was interpreted in terms of Montaigne being one of the personalities of the Age of Enlightenment. In the suggestions section of the research, suggestions were made that the work of Essays can be used in Social Studies value teaching.