Oh, the socialization rock that all home-school ships must crash upon...and then right itself and keep on sailing with the full wind in billowing sails.
Is socialization achieved by taking children and organizing them by age into segregated groups, and keeping them under the control of an adult for the better part of their early lives? By doling out rewards and punishments to induce them to go along with the pattern of learning mapped out by distant bureaucrats and professionals, and in regulated time schedules in an institutional setting, in rows of desks?
Or is socialization better accomplished by having children mixing with people of all ages in relationships that don't necessarily give adults final authority over the children's interests or desires; that allows for a high degree of flexibility and spontaneity?
Are all children (or even a majority) who go through school well adjusted and adequately socialized?
And socialized to what (or whose) standard?
Hmmm.
Download or podcast SOCIALIZE THIS! to gain some insight into the matter.
"Nearly all children nowadays were horrible. What was worst of all was that by means of such organizations as the Spies they were systematically turned into ungovernable little savages, and yet this produced in them no tendency whatever to rebel against the discipline of the Party. On the contrary, they adored the Party and everything connected with it… All their ferocity was turned outwards, against the enemies of the State, against foreigners, traitors, saboteurs, thought-criminals. It was almost normal for people over thirty to be frightened of their own children." (Orwell, 1984)
1 comment:
That is a great quote from 1984!
I homeschool because I want my kids to be socialized. Where else do you find the social structure in school? How about prison?
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