[xmca] Social situation of development

[ERIC.RAMBERG@spps.org]

In the Hedegaard article there is a clear delineation between the overall 
development of Andrew and his development in the institution of the 
school.  The ethnography of this study provides concise documentation of 
the cultural influence such institutions have upon families.  What is 
especially considered in the article is how Andrew does not meet the 
expectations regarding the social situation of development and this is 
considered problematic for the school.  In reading case studies such as 
these I always ponder the purpose of school and ask, "Is it for the 
purpose of building compliant and well socialized children that will 
follow the institutions' guidelines? Or is it for the greater good of 
having a well educated, creative and intelligent populous?"  Probably a 
combination of both but it appears that the former purpose places many 
people like Andrew into the crisis of non-conformity as a result of an 
unrealistic expectation for certain individuals.  Look at the explosion of 
home-school, charter, on-line and other alternative educational programs 
and it can be extrapolated that perhaps it is not Andrew that is slow in 
developing institutional concepts but rather the socially situated 
developmental expectation of these institutions as conflagrated hooey and 
hokum.

A day late on the Hedegard article and perhaps out of the flow of current 
XMCA dialogue but still an idea I wanted to share.

What do others think?

eric 
_______________________________________________
xmca mailing list
xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca