how come I--a former English teacher and retired lawyer who satisfied her science requirement in college by taking geology--know more about Avian flu than a presidential "economics advisor?"
how come I--a former English teacher and retired lawyer who satisfied her science requirement in college by taking geology--know more about Avian flu than a presidential "economics advisor?"
actually, because I went through an educational system—starting in 1950—that actually fostered curiosity and made one WANT to look outside whatever expertise one was focused on at the time. Our country is moving back to the strict Daddy mode where you regurgitate what you are told and no sass back. It’s been going on some time, particularly with the horrendous “teaching to the test” requirements. Those tests were meant to help find weaknesses, but instead they PROMOTED weaknesses in anything but “yessir.”
It suddenly hit me: we were the generation raised under the theories of Dr. Spock. It was the great era of what George Lakoff called the "nurturant parenting" frame, which stresses what he taught. "His ideas influenced several generations of parents, encouraging them to be more flexible and affectionate with their children and to treat them as individuals." The backlash against this arose in part because of his anti war position on Vietnam, and the likes of Spiro Agnew hated him; under Reagan and after, the model of "strict father" frame was pushed to counter what was seen as the disorder arising from the war- protest, civil rights, 2nd wave feminist generation. "Permissiveness" became the "woke" of its day. This, combined with the feeling that education, including college, was really a super trade school aimed at jobs jobs jobs so that arts, history, humanities were a waste of precious time (and perhaps precious bodily fluids?)--this combination has I think narrowed a whole lot of peoples' chances for a fullness of life they don't even know they are missing.
It obviously isn't a lock step requirement of any generation to be like the trends--but I think Dr. Spock started a trend that really gave a big swath of a generation "something completely different" for a while.
I agree, Susan, parenting style has a lot to do with it. Having worked with kids in an informal educational setting for the last 35 years, I have seen the dramatic changes!
how come I--a former English teacher and retired lawyer who satisfied her science requirement in college by taking geology--know more about Avian flu than a presidential "economics advisor?"
Because you have a functioning brain, and you read, Susan!
actually, because I went through an educational system—starting in 1950—that actually fostered curiosity and made one WANT to look outside whatever expertise one was focused on at the time. Our country is moving back to the strict Daddy mode where you regurgitate what you are told and no sass back. It’s been going on some time, particularly with the horrendous “teaching to the test” requirements. Those tests were meant to help find weaknesses, but instead they PROMOTED weaknesses in anything but “yessir.”
Yep, you are absolutely correct - born in 1952 here ☺️.
It suddenly hit me: we were the generation raised under the theories of Dr. Spock. It was the great era of what George Lakoff called the "nurturant parenting" frame, which stresses what he taught. "His ideas influenced several generations of parents, encouraging them to be more flexible and affectionate with their children and to treat them as individuals." The backlash against this arose in part because of his anti war position on Vietnam, and the likes of Spiro Agnew hated him; under Reagan and after, the model of "strict father" frame was pushed to counter what was seen as the disorder arising from the war- protest, civil rights, 2nd wave feminist generation. "Permissiveness" became the "woke" of its day. This, combined with the feeling that education, including college, was really a super trade school aimed at jobs jobs jobs so that arts, history, humanities were a waste of precious time (and perhaps precious bodily fluids?)--this combination has I think narrowed a whole lot of peoples' chances for a fullness of life they don't even know they are missing.
It obviously isn't a lock step requirement of any generation to be like the trends--but I think Dr. Spock started a trend that really gave a big swath of a generation "something completely different" for a while.
I agree, Susan, parenting style has a lot to do with it. Having worked with kids in an informal educational setting for the last 35 years, I have seen the dramatic changes!
I know educators hate those tests.
i would think so.