The position of globalization in social studies textbooks

Considering the process of globalization that caused the world to transform into a global village, it is observed that it has a past of about five hundred years and has brought about a large, rapid, and complex transformation in the world since the 1950s. In this process, there have been attitudes and behaviors for and against globalization. Globalization has effects in such fields as science and technology, education, economy, political, and socio-cultural. As can be seen, one of the fields on which it has an effect is education. Education, which is basically considered as the process of creating desired and permanent behavioral changes in the individual, is a dynamic field that is affected by almost all kinds of factors that emerge, spread, and change through the globalization. Therefore, determining the position of globalization in this field is important in terms of managing the process in a healthy way and reducing its negative effects. As in most countries across the world, some changes are also made in the education system in Turkey according to the changing conditions in time, and the renovation and improvement practices are conducted, and the required parallel arrangements with the contemporary developments are implemented in the system. The purpose is to raise individuals who adapt to changing conditions and are prepared for the future in every aspect. Therefore, the importance of raising citizens to adapt not only the changing conditions in Turkey but also the changes in global scale is increasing day by day. In this respect, the transfer of the future developments and changes in Turkey and in the world into the education system is of great importance. One of the most effective ways of doing this is to make changes, improvements and arrangements in the courses, curriculums and textbooks prepared accordingly. The globalization process is one of the most important issues in this context. Since this process is a dynamic process, it should constantly be observed, and everybody should be prepared for this process. Position of globalization in the education system of Turkey can be clearly monitored in the teaching programs and textbooks prepared according to them because it is much easier to monitor the changes on these two elements. The Social Studies course is one of the courses in which the position of globalization in the Turkish Education System can be followed best since this course basically purposes to train individuals who develop positive behaviors in technological, economic, political, cultural, and social fields and can adapt to changing social conditions. Therefore, it is obvious that it is one of the lessons which is most affected by the globalization process. In this context, it is purposed in this research to determine how the phenomenon of globalization is included in the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th grade Social Studies textbooks published in 2019. The research is a qualitative research. In this research, Social Studies textbooks were examined through the document analysis technique within the scope of the science and technology, education, economy, political, and socio-cultural dimensions of globalization, and they were subjected to the descriptive analysis. As a result of the research, according to the analyzed Social Studies textbooks, it was concluded that the globalization is included in the 7th grade textbook at most and that it is respectively followed by the 5th, 4th, and 6th grade textbooks. It was also determined that the globalization issues were in the 7th units of the textbooks at most and the least in the 6th units of the textbooks, according to the dimensions of globalization. In addition, it was observed that the unit in which globalization takes place the most is the "Journey in Turkish History" unit in the 7th grade Social Studies textbook and that the least involved unit is the "We and Our Values" unit in the 6th grade Social Studies textbook. While the subject in which the globalization is mostly included is "Developments in Europe and Its Effects on the Ottoman Empire" in the "Journey in Turkish History" unit in the 7th grade textbook, the subjects without globalization examples are "What's Around Us?", "Let's Extend Our Feet According to Our Quilt", and "I Take Responsibility" in the 4th grade textbook, "Management of the Place I Live" in the 5th grade textbook, "My Roles in the Society" and "Geographical Features of Our Country" in the 6th grade textbook, and "We Communicate by Communicating", "Positive Communication, Happy Individual and Society" and "Power From the Constitution" in the 7th grade textbook. According to the analyzed textbooks, it was determined that the most visuals regarding globalization were included in the 5th grade textbook and the least visuals were included in the 6th grade textbook. In addition, the subject of "Technology from Past to Present" in the "Science, Technology, and Society" unit of the 4th grade Social Studies textbook is the subject in which the most visual examples for globalization are included.