This may be tangential, but there is of course cross cultural research on
child rearing practices that give some insight into pathways of development
that are NOT embedded in capitalism -- and some of the work on literacy,
including B. Schiefflin's that shows us that the values of highly literate/
capitalist societies are not exclusive to them/"us". Another source of data
I would argue is ethnographic of social class differences in capitalist
societies....different _orientations_ to capital.
I was wondering what the critical-ethical stance entails, re: one's own
valuing --- I mean, WHO on this list disclaims the value of abstract
reasoning, etc.? Is there any research like Bourdieu's but from a
psychological perspective?
judy
hAt 06:28 AM 12/16/00 -0600, you wrote:
>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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