[MD] Imaginings

[John Carl]

Ok, Lu's back home.  Goodbye leisure to respond at length.  I'll race
through till I get dragged away.
>
>
> [Arlo]
> What "humanism" is being taught to every cultural group? Scientific
> objectivism? Hey, again, these are things that are better served by
> reforming
> education, not privatizing it.
>

Reform.  Right.  Let's just pick the one real good monocultural view of
reality that is appropriate for everyone.  Why?  Why drag my tax dollars out
of me to accomplish this one purpose?  Even if the monocultural view of
reality happens to be one I espouse, I resent the imposition of it upon all.



> Let me ask, since you mention "cultural diversity" being the problem with
> public education in America... how would "vouchers" handle this?
>
>
By opening up the possiblity of choice to the consumer.




> Do you forsee schools that cater to one specifc "cultural group"?
>
>
If there's enough of a cultural group to make an economically viable school,
then I forsee them arising.



> To clarify, give me some examples of what you consider a "cultural group"
> here?
>
>
Mormons.



> You mentioned your daughter may want to attend Oxford. Its a good school,
> no?
>

I have no idea.  Never been there.  It's got that reputation.  I think my
daughter likes it because the name reminds her of nice shoes.


> Is it "uni-cultural"? Does it not cater to the cultural needs of a diverse
> population? Is "diversity" only bad in K12 environments?
>

You tell me, professor.  I have no idea.


>
> [John]
> You have got to be kidding, right?  You think Japan has the same diversity
> in
> thought as America?  Wait a minute.  You don't kid around like that.
>
> [Arlo]
> You have got to be kidding, right? Do you think all Japanese people think
> the
> same?



Uh, hello?  Social conformity is  only like their highest value.  Not as a
race, but as a culture, you gotta admit that they are a lot less prone to
individual spontaneity.


Do you think all white people think the same? Why would all the Japanese
> think the same thing, but American whites are intellectually diverse?
>

Well my argument would be in broader strokes, that I think American culture
tends to promote intellectual diversity much moreso than Japanese Culture.
 Going to ridiculous extremes wouldn't sit well with me, since I like to be
always right.


> If you say that American whites are NOT intellectual diverse, then do you
> see
> this as a positive characteristic or a negative one?


I would say that on the whole, Americans today are not nearly as culturally
diverse as they used to be.  I think the media-education complex has had an
effect of homogenization.

And I do see this as negative.


> If you say they are, what
> makes American whites intellectual diverse, but Japanese intellectually
> similar? (Same goes for the Finnish population)
>

Remember my assertion of Bioregional Politics?   nations and states  evolve
values from their PLACE on the planet, not just geologically, but
geographically,  Finland, Japan and America each have unique places and
stories which create their cultures.  Part of America's culture is a melting
pot.  Japan is not a melting pot.  You can be a third generation immigrant
to Japan from Korea, and you are never going to be Japanese.



>
> [Arlo]
> Do you think blacks should be in different schools because of their
> different
> cultural characteristics??
>
>
No, but I think a lot of trauma and stress on my friends part could have
been avoided with a bit more cultural sensitivity - cutural arrogance being
the idea that we all think just alike and everyone is equally served by the
centralized system.




> [John]
> Do you realize how arrogant that is?
>
> [Arlo]
> I am not assuming a "one size fits all" model. Indeed, I have long argued
> that
> educational reform should address the varying learning needs and styles of
> the
> students, needs to address the higher critical thinking skills over the low
> information retrieval skills, needs to integrate school activity with the
> real-world activity of the students. Much we can do, should do, but
> privatization is not the answer.
>
>

Well, you state that this something you struggle for from within the system,
trying to steer the behemoth along the right path, but deny the opportunity
for any one else to try and solve the problem in their own unique way.  Why?




> [John]
> America is a very diverse country and it doesn't have as much to do with
> ethnicity as it does religion.  Count how many different religions there
> are in
> any town in Oklahoma or Nebraska vs. the entire country of Japan and you'd
> see
> the point I was trying to make.
>
> [Arlo]
> Wait. Are you saying that public education fails in Oklahoma because
> Baptists
> are forced to school with Episcopalians?
>
> Are you saying that Oklahoma's towns are more "diverse" than Tokyo?????
>
>
Well, this bears obliquely at best, but I did a search on the religious
diversity in Japan, Finland and the nearest town to me - Grass Valley.  The
list of churches in the grass valley directory went several pages.  90 % of
the Finnish are Lutheran. That's ONE church.  Grass Valley has buddhist,
bahai, jewish, jehovah's witlesses, the vast and familiar pantheon.  I got
tired of counting them.  You don't think that is significant?  You don't
think America is more religiously oriented than the rest of the world?  You
don't think that all these seriously religious people don't have a bit of an
axe to grind against the imposition of a values free metaphysic upon the
impressionable minds of their children?

Nah.  you don't see this as a form of social control imposed by centralized
authority upon diverse cultures.  Or if it is, it's "for their own good" in
your eyes.    No wonder you get so upset with Platt.  He'd rip this to
pieces.  Or rather, pull out his Zen bow and ZING 'em into your bulls.




> [John]
> We differ there, but that's probably natural in that our roles in the
> debate
> are so different - you being a teacher, me being a parent.
>
> [Arlo]
> I am a parent too.
>
>
Yeah, and I'm a teacher too.  We tried homeschooling for 5 years.  It was
tough.  Socialization with peers is probably the most essential aspect of
early education, when you think about it.


Whew!  That took me about 4 hours to finish!  In dribs and drabs when Lu
isn't looking...

Onward!