Re: Ideology of painless learning and teaching in institutional
Jay Lemke (JLLBC who-is-at CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU)
Tue, 23 Apr 96 00:06:19 EDT
I am reading, in several posts the last couple days, what seems
to be a misunderstanding of my position on pain and coercion in
schooling. I am not 'against pain in education' and I do believe
that there are plenty of worthwhile learning experiences that
involve pain -- inevitably, or by choice, or by error of judgment
on the part of the person who will experience the pain, and hopefully
the learning. What is immoral about coercion by pain is intentionally
inflicting pain on another without their informed consent probably
for the purposes of teaching them a lesson (their may be exceptions
in this case), and certainly for the purpose of controlling their
behavior, especially long-term behavior, in our interest and against
(even likely against) their own.
It is one thing to yell at a child who is making your afternoon a
living hell, and make them cry, and teach them a lesson about
the risks of offending more powerful individuals, and get some
temporary peace and quiet. It is quite another thing to force
students for years to study a prescribed curriculum designed to
make them believe as you believe and value as you value, so that
your interests and privileges and those of your ilk will tend
to be maintained quite independently of any personal interactions
or conflicts you may have with the individuals you are 'teaching'.
JAY.
JAY LEMKE.
City University of New York.
BITNET: JLLBC who-is-at CUNYVM
INTERNET: JLLBC who-is-at CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU