xmcamail.9905: rush to the middle

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"<irony> Yes ... the great rush to the middle is a huge comfort to me =
</irony>"

I get the sense there is something more than the middle at stake. I =
don't know if I would use the world "new", the word late or advanced =
maybe better describes what seems to be going on. There does seem to be =
a different way in which action is being discussed that is different =
from the more conservative economic hand off and the more "liberal" =
hands on. The economic sphere itself is being sold as the one that can =
solve the social problems. I was recently reading Brint on =
professionalism and he hinted towards the "neoliberalism" today being =
linked to 60's progressivism rather than conservatism perse. Many of =
the neoliberal reforms - school choice, decentralism, corporations in =
schools - were taken from non-profit activist organizations. Many of the =
so called conservatives, at least in my state reflect proudly on their =
60's activism and see it related to their 90's more conservative =
activism.

Much of neo-liberalism has a fantasy of sorts of pre-Roosevelt America =
when things were "local" and community based while forgetting the =
consequences of that time. So much stuff in education lately speaks of =
that "community" thing as if it was oppositional to social control. It =
is easy to forget that the emphasis on "community" at the beginning of =
the century had social control and reproduction of the dominant culture =
as an explicit goal. The settlement houses in Chicago and elsewhere =
were about using community to teach immigrants, the poor etc. what to =
eat, how to dress, and what to value etc. Maybe its the Y2K thing, but =
it seems the clocks are being turned back a hundred years or so.

People with great passions, people who accomplish great deeds,
People who possess strong feelings even people with great minds
and a strong personality, rarely come out of good little boys and girls
L.S. Vygotsky=20

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I get the sense there is something more = than the=20 middle at stake. I don't know if I would use the world "new", the word = late or=20 advanced maybe better describes what seems to be going on. There = does seem=20 to be a different way in which action is being discussed that is = different from=20 the more conservative economic hand off and the more "liberal" hands=20 on. The economic sphere itself is being sold as the one that = can=20 solve the social problems. I was recently reading Brint on = professionalism=20 and he hinted towards the "neoliberalism" today being linked to 60's=20 progressivism rather than conservatism perse. Many of the = neoliberal=20 reforms - school choice, decentralism, corporations in schools - were = taken from=20 non-profit activist organizations. Many of the so called conservatives, = at least=20 in my state reflect proudly on their 60's activism and see it related to = their=20 90's more conservative activism.

Much of neo-liberalism has a = fantasy of sorts=20 of pre-Roosevelt America when things were "local" and community = based while=20 forgetting the consequences of that time. So much stuff in = education=20 lately speaks of that "community" thing as if it was oppositional to = social=20 control. It is easy to forget that the emphasis on "community" at = the=20 beginning of the century had social control and reproduction of the = dominant=20 culture as an explicit goal. The settlement houses in Chicago and=20 elsewhere were about using community to teach immigrants, the poor=20 etc. what to eat, how to dress, and what to value etc. Maybe = its the=20 Y2K thing, but it seems the clocks are being turned back a hundred years = or=20 so.

People with great passions, people who = accomplish=20 great deeds,
People who possess strong feelings even people with = great=20 minds
and a strong personality, rarely come out of good little boys = and=20 girls
L.S. Vygotsky