I do not have an answer to your question, but am inclined to believe that
it does have somethng to do with raising individualism to a religion and
giving it so much cultural value. Trying to incorporate doing things for
the "we" rather than the "I" is a major uphill battle given the structural
factors with which educators must contend. Testing, grades, etc.. is not
about what we do as a group for each other to better our joint selves.
This is why I like the approach many of us share which is to look at the
social world as it engages the individual rather than focus solely on what
happens to the individual.
marc
On Thu, 30 Sep 1999 vadebonc who-is-at montana.edu wrote:
> Hi Marc -
>
> Yes, I agree that some of the more "visible shootings" have been
> committed by adolescents who are white. This may increase concern or add a
> sense of urgency to explore and improve conditions in our schools. It is
> both an encouraging and discouraging comment: that we (American society
> generalized) have to wait until enough white kids get caught up in doing
> the damage that we tune into structural problems in schools. We (American
> society generalized) seem to disregard "problems" or individualize them if
> the "problems" are black, or latino/latina, or some other non-dominant
> group. So easy to say, then, it's just those ________'s, it's their
> problem. When it is one of "our kind," we seem to pay more attention. Sad
> but true.
>
> My deep sense of loss and discouragement is that feeling in my gut
> that if more dominant kids don't get caught up in the violence, the
> violence happening with kids who are from other ethnic and racial
> backgrounds will continue to be ignored. Instrumental rationality, yes,
> material conditions, yes, schools built for sorting, yes. I guess my
> question back to you is, why is it so difficult to "get" folks to see,
> recognize, pay attention to structural factors? Granted we have raised
> "individualism" to a religion here, but there is so much evidence ...
>
> Thanks for your ideas, Marc. Jennifer
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> Jennifer A. Vadeboncoeur, Ph.D.
> Assistant Professor, Curriculum and Instruction
> Montana State University
> 120 Reid Hall, Department of Education
> Bozeman, MT 59717
> Office: (406) 994-6457
> Fax: (406) 994-3261
>
>
>