monolithic educational policy

From: Eva Ekeblad (eva.ekeblad@goteborg.utfors.se)
Date: Sun Aug 05 2001 - 10:07:43 PDT


Well, OK, Eric,
how to conceptualize human lifespan development is something that has been
discussed over this list more than once, so I am quite sure that if we were
to debate your description you would be asked to refine it considerably.

But that would be changing the topic away from your observations about your
own function in the xmca communication, as the unheeded provider of methods
for changing viewpoints to this socially conform community. And I still
think you are making some pretty strong assumptions there, about the
positions, values, etc. of the xmca subscribers who don't respond to your
postings, or don't respond in a way that embraces your suggested viewpoints
or takes them sufficiently into account.

From my perspective as a xmca participant (on remote from Sweden) since
-93, the xmca has functioned to a great extent as a breathing hole for
people whose values and ideas do NOT conform to the particular institutions
where they earn their daily living - people who have more of a social
conscience than your common and garden variety mainstream educator. Well, I
am sure that there are x-participants who are in positions of influence,
etc. But don't you think they are paying a price to stay there and
accomplish something in accordance with their values?

My point in this whole sequence of postings has been, and still is, that
you are making assumptions about your co-correspondents as individuals and
as a group that are not warranted. Which goes far to explain why conflict
arises. If you try to teach your grandmother to suck eggs, won't she at
least shake her cane at you?

regards
Eva

At 11.02 -0400 01-08-05, MnFamilyMan@aol.com scrobe:
> To give two examples of the social conformity I am referring to I would
>like
>to move beyond psychology and discuss philosophical matters.
>Developmentally, adults have achieved a status of 'lifestyle' that fits
>their
>unique personality. This lifestyle then feeds the person's personality in
>compatible manner. In order to function within a chosen lifestyle values
>and social conformities need to be followed.

>The person's personality that does not
>conform to a chosen lifestyle will not function and subsequently not
>succeed.
>Having succeeded in the chosen lifestyle of public education faculty
>suggests
>a common acceptance of values and social mores. Now given such a large
>group of public education faculty I grant you Eva that it is hard to imagine
>us as being a monolithic social order. But just consider this, we as an
>institution have more contact hours with our clients then any other
>profession
>in the world. We're the ones who have succeeded to this ppoint in our
>professions and we had to accept similar activity systems in order to
>accomplish our goals. Having accomplished similar activity systems gives
>us as a group the power of the shared experience. Don't believe in the
>power of the shared experience?



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