Andy,
Your message reminded me of a MCA journal some time ago. It was a piece on
historical change by Patricia M. Greenfield with commentary by Gaskins in
V. 6, # 2. While I think Greenfield focuses on the "developmental" aspects
of historical change such as increased independence, creativity etc,
Gaskins commentary nicely brings out the historical changes of the market
within a Mayan community.
Now what is interesting in both pieces is how certain actions by children
that we (the west) seem to value emerged through market forces that more
closely resemble modern capitalism. Greenfield, focusing on the
developmental aspect of historical change does not bring those connections
to the front, but the connections are there nevertheless.
This seems to also point to the "ethics" you brought forward in that the
capabilities in children that we seem to value emerged from the historical
change of a "barter" economy to modern capitalism.
I think the Mayan research would be very interesting to pursue with the
ethics your bringing forward. For example, the connections between a
culture moving toward modern capitalism and its implications for
psychology. Gaskins in "Children's Engagement..." makes that connection
more or less explicit with a questioning of how education (pre-school)
relates to or at least prepares children to the values of the market place.
I think in psychology and developmental literature we like to talk of these
capabilities as having a life of their own so to speak, but it seems
important from a critical-ethical standpoint to come to terms with how they
emerge historically. In addition, as I see Gaskins pointing towards that we
examine how fostering this or that capability in children produce or
reproduce a particular kind of culture. For example, the developmental
capabilities we seem to value coincide with the developmental changes in
Mayan children as it changed to an economy where the market had a more
determining role.
Nate
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