The Learning Mystique: A Critical Look at "Learning Disabilities"
by Gerald Coles
Fawcett Columbine
New York
1987
The book looks at a variety of learning disabilities from their
construction in the 60's and 70's in which environment (non poor and
minority children) was not seen as the cause for school problems. Initally
Coles argues "learning disability" was a bilogical label to explain
"deficits" which could not be explained by enviromental means. Middleclass
is perfect, so school problems must be biological in origin. The book has
close to 80 pages of footnotes explaining the history of learning
disabilities in more detail including the initial studies and his
replication of those studies. Coles states while he does not cite
Leontiev, Vygotsky, and Luria in depth, his interactivity theory of
Learning Disabilities is very much indebted to these individuals.
While Amazon tells me the book is out of stock, they have been telling me
that with a lot of books lately, I find the book as a very useful tool
(weapon to use Diane's sig) in challenging the genetic determinism in
special/regular education. The book at times gives one the feel of
determinism on the other end, but that is bound to occur in a critique of
educational practices that are so genetically deterministic. He puts forth
an "educational optimism" very close to Vygotsky in the sense education can
equalize genetic and environmental factors. As Ken has mentioned Coles
currently has a book out on literacy which Amazon says it is yet to be
published.
CONTENTS
1. Hinshelwood's Legacy
2. Perceptual and Attention Deficits
3. Language Deficits, Memory Deficits, and LD subtypes
4. Technology and identification of neurological deficits
5. Drugs and LD explanations
6. Genes, gender, and the affliction of geniuses
7. Families, Children, and learning: An overview of the theory of
interactivity.
8. Schools and schooling in interactivity
9. Reconsidering neurology
10 The function of the LD field.
Nate
inal Message -----
From: Matsushima Hideaki <n47125a who-is-at nucc.cc.nagoya-u.ac.jp>
To: <xmca who-is-at weber.ucsd.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 1999 5:32 PM
Subject: Re: Dolly and beyond
> Dear nate and xmca member
>
> Iwould like to ask a question about Nate's quote;"Learning Mystique by
Coles"
> I don't know about that article. Please teach me precisely about this
quotation.
>
> > I found the Learning Mystique by Coles as an interesting historical
tracing
> >of the use of drugs/chemicals in education. Much of the "objective"
knowledge
> >which current research in built upon is very shaky. Many of the
original
> >studies
> >were very badly done. Coles repeats many of the original research using
some
> >of Luria's tests.
> >
>
>
> sincerly
>
>
> _/_/_/_/_/
> _/_/_/Hideaki Matusima _/_/_/
> _/_/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/_/
> Nagoya University Department of Education _/_/
> School of Developmental clinical Psychology_/_/
> _/_/_/_/ Japan _/_/_/_/_/
> _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/Phone : 052-789-2656_/_/_/
>
> _/_/_/_/_/
>