Jun. 29, 2008
Are you Socialized?
We all hear it at some point in our home schooling career--What about socialization?
And I think we all have a response to it. My usual comeback is, "Are you talking about character development?"
This is funny because it makes them think about what they are asking. Most who are blatant enough to confront you on the issue of "how your kids will be able to cope in real-life situations if you home school them" are the same who are blatant about knowing nothing about what they are asking. So when I ask if they mean character development, they stop to think. Maybe for the first time.
Then they have to think about:
-what is character development?
-where should it take place?
-who should be responsible for guiding young people?
-what do I mean by socialization?
-what kind of answer did I think I was going to get with such a question?
Then they realize they just asked an expert about something, which is fine, except they just also assumed the expert knew nothing, which is absurd.
So here is something to add to my favorite retort. A psychology textbook's definition of socialization:
the process by which children learn the behaviors and attitudes appropriate to their family and their culture. (Morris and Maisto, 2008, p.326)
The context of the quote is the conflict that occurs when children strive for autonomy and parents exert control. Finding the balance is difficult for both children and parents.
It is interesting to note that both the context and the definition have nothing to do with the contrived and artificial culture of a school setting.
The context and content of the paragraph cited and, indeed, the entire chapter on Social Development both refer to a family situation and both recognize the family as the source of character development and growth.
A couple of thoughts-
Coping skills: I remember someone asked me about what my kids would do for coping skills. I thought about my coping strategies in high school: drug use and conformity to peer norms. Not desirable.
Bullies: I found there are not many bullies that survive into real life, as in the workplace. One time I saw one. I was finishing a small contract for the BC Forest Service. We had done a good job if mopping up a slash burn. The guy who awarded the contract was the same guy who checked the work. Satisfied, he told us to pick up a check the next day at the Forestry Office.
I was surprised, so I said, with enthusiasm, "Oh, great! That's fast."
A rough-looking guy was standing close by with his friends, part of a larger crew. He mocked me with an effeminate voice. I looked at him and said, "Ooh, a high school bully." The Forestry manager laughed and drove away. Then we all laughed. He just didn't know what to make of it.
Outside of junior high school, they lose their power and it turns out that the school culture is a dream world. I felt sorry for the out-dated bully. He invested his entire childhood in an identity that had no future. He's sure not scary anymore.
Saving your kids from bullies or from being bullies is saving them from wasting precious years learning how to cope in an unreal and irrelevant culture.
Keep them home and have a great summer.
LES
Reference: Charles G. Morris, Albert A. Maisto (2008). Eighth Edition Understanding Psychology. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc. |
| • Post A Comment! • Send to a Friend!
|
Comments
|
|
|
Homeschooling on the tropical island of Guam, a US Territory...where America's Day Begins.
• No Better Time
• The Guam Homeschool Resource Center
• A New Homeschool Year Begins Again
• Current Events: An Opportunity for Homeschool Learning
• It's time again for Chamorro Day
• Home
• View my profile
• Archives
• Email Me
• My Blog's RSS
• Guam Homeschool Association
• Guam Homeschool Resource Center
• Better Drivers
• Story Time Felts
• Stampin' Up
• HomeschoolEStore
• Considering Homeschooling
• Memoirs of an Unschooled Teacher
• Canadian Girl Lost on Guam
• The Porchswing
• The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
• Our State Page at TOS
• HSB Front Porch
• Home Where They Belong
• TOS Online Lab
• HSB Literary Club
• It's a Small World Blog
• HomesteadBlogger
Our e-Newsletters give you wonderful, informative information about homeschooling, news bits, contests and PRIZES for homeschoolers, articles to encourage you, calls for writers, free unit studies and lesson plans, and just a lot of FUN. Bring the community to your inbox – and no worries, we never sell, trade or give your email or any other information out to anyone.
Come join the homeschool party!
Subscribe to *FREE* newsletters offered by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.
To see a close-up
of the current cover,
click here.
Do you have the whole set of back issues from The Old Schoolhouse
Magazine?
Click
here to view all back issues and read the themes - you
will want to collect the ones you've missed!!
At Bookstores NOW!!
Join Our
Affiliate Program!
Earn Money
Every Time
TOS Magazine is Sold in
Partnership with You.
more . . .
• HSN
• Military Blog
• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming
• Washington DC
• Guam
• Puerto Rico
• Alberta, Canada
• British Columbia, Canada
• Manitoba, Canada
• New Brunswick, Canada
• Newfoundland/Labrador, Canada
• NW Territories, Canada
• Nova Scotia, Canada
• Nunavut, Canada
• Ontario, Canada
• Prince Edward Island, Canada
• Quebec, Canada
• Saskatchewan, Canada
• Yukon Territory, Canada
• UK
• Australia
• Tami
• leebenvic
• tandemonimom
• military
|
|
