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‘Dirigism’ does not worry me in the least, nor
those who might criticize me/us for it. Is it your sense that
(American-defined) liberals may be most opposed to ‘dirigism’? If
so, what a telling observation! Perhaps some of the activities of our churches reflect their
comparable fear for the future of kids, and we might be able to guide their
efforts in wiser ways that they currently achieve. Or perhaps piggy-back on
their rap against the mall- and self-celebratory culture. This matter of self-celebration is an item I should have
included in my earlier list, for it seems to me that in a paroxysm of fear over
self-esteem we have gone too far in assuring every kid that they are paragons
of wonder. Kids are vacuously praised for even mediocre performance. I think
that kids know they are being conned, and are thirsty for accurate feedback on
just how they are doing, hard as it might be to hear that increased striving is
needed. I wonder, hopefully, over the success of American Idol:
might it be because in this show kids are being given real-world feedback about
their skill levels? Is there an instinct in people truly and accurately to
understand the real world and our relationship to it? Lawry From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of Cordell, Arthur: ECOM I am afraid that much that must be done will be looked upon
by many as too "dirigiste." I think that liberal minded people might find themselves in
a bit of double bind. The recipe for reversing the dumbing down of
American kids might include some much needed direction or sense of
purpose in the lives of these kids as well as the traditional 3
rs. Learning to think critically is not easy. But is necessary. Direction could come from many places It won't
come on its own. And it won't come as a result of video
games. Or from TV. And it won't come from responding to challenges
of any kind with an all purpose "whatever" response. Arthur From: Lawrence
de Bivort [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi, Karen and everyone, This is such a sad situation. Given its wealth and relative
enlightenment, America could have achieved a truly wonderful role of genuine
leadership in the world, had it not succumbed to the temptations of power and
greed. Is this hope truly lost? These last years have been increasingly dark
ones, I know. But might there be a means of recapturing those things that were
beneficial and generous, and discarding the dark parts of the American culture
and policies? In the last couple of years, I’ve had several focused
chances to talk with American kids about their view of the world, and the
increasingly large gap between the way they view the world and its reality. The
reaction is mixed, from dismissal because what I have found myself calling for
is a regime that some kids view as onerous and worrisome, to enthusiastic
adoption, the kids sensing that here at last was an adult who would talk
straight with them and about what would be required for medium- and long-term
happiness and success. I do have less sympathy in the plight of older people, who
radically underestimated what would be required for a comfortable retirement.
It is this older generation that initiated the policy of peace-time massive
national debt, for example, quite happy to see their kids pay for them. But it is the kids who are being cheated, by the debt-soaked
older generation, and by parents who won’t tell things straight, or
themselves don’t understand what is happening in the world. So, short of saying ‘good luck when things hit the
wall’, what are things that WE can do NOW to begin to reverse this
cultural abdication and help kids get themselves aligned effectively with the
dynamics of a globalizing society? Lawry From: Karen Watters
Cole [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks, Lawry, for resurrecting this topic. Don’t you think that any society, the further it
moves away from its original point of reference, will “lose its
way”? When we were still mostly agrarian and the middle
class was the minority, children were raised with after school chores that
correlated to the family’s welfare, i.e., if not milking cows on the
farm, tending the vegetable garden in town, maybe a few hen eggs. Eventually,
as gardens disappeared chores became setting the table and cleaning, but the
connection to survival waned. Activities that built character and taught
business experience shifted from neighborhood ties to the service industry,
involving kids in lessons further away from home and family connections. Likewise, generations of Americans raised families on
the notion that life would be better for their kids, so naturally kids began to
see this as their birth right. Our economic success has outpaced our cultural
evolution. Some people look forward to our economy ‘hitting
the wall’, anticipating that there will be a positive sociocultural transformation
(we can only hope…) but perhaps this is romanticizing the Great
Depression a la Swiss Family Robinson. For others going ‘cold
turkey’ from addictive consumerism will be thrust upon them, rather than
a tempered gradual choice. For too many of us, especially the poor, elderly and
frail, it will mean disaster because we have not tended to the liberal
principles of the greater common good, as in universal health care and
education as we should have done. Young people do not understand these broader
ramifications, their vision obscured by the immaturity, so that learning to
become responsible adults is done outside the family and too many are raised to
think adulthood is bestowed upon them at a certain birthday, and with the
acquisition of the latest status symbols. This is of course, tribal by nature,
but we have lost the connection to why and what for. The substance is lost. Karen -----Original
Message----- These are indicators of an economy/society
that has lost its way. After it "hits the wall" there will
likely be changes in attitude. arthur From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of Lawrence de Bivort I think Harry points to a fundamentally
important issue. I will indulge in a few generalizations.... Why have we created a culture of
entitlement? Why do American parents allow their kids to embrace the notions: 1) That school must be
entertaining, or there is something wrong with the teachers? 2) That they need
anything they want? 3) That ‘hanging
out’, ‘chilling,’ and ‘veging’ are acceptable at
any time? 4) That because they
are Americans everything will be provided them one way or another? 5) That ‘having
fun’ and ‘being happy’ are the two highest values (and
rights) or children? 6) That working hard
is bad and undesirable? 7) That
‘fashion’ is important? I do believe that children have vastly more
ability than their parents give them credit for, and that they embrace
challenges when they are framed correctly, and that they are robust enough to
‘know the truth’ about the world and the effects globalization is
going to have on their lives. Why is it that so many parents
underestimate the capabilities of their children and educationally under-serve
them? Cheers, or sighs, Lawry From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of Harry Pollard I well remember my 10-11 year old sons delivering newspapers in
the Canadian snow. Our house was built on nursery land and my kids would
harvest asparagus from the unbuilt on fields and sell it to the neighbors. Maybe that attitude has disappeared with the advent of computer
games. Harry ********************************* 818 352-4141 ********************************* |
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