The Bitter Homeschooler's Wish List
"Learn what the words "socialize" and "socialization" mean, and use the one
you really mean instead of mixing them up the way you do now. Socializing means hanging out with other people for fun. Socialization means having acquired the
skills necessary to do so successfully and pleasantly. If you're talking to me
and my kids, that means that we do in fact go outside now and then to visit the
other human beings on the planet, and you can safely assume that we've got a
decent grasp of both concepts." [For the full article visit http://www.secular-homeschooling.com/001/bitter_homeschooler.html]
Socialization (according to Clausen as quoted in Wilkipedia) refers:
"to the process of learning one’s culture and how to live within it. For the
individual it provides the resources necessary for acting and participating
within their society. For the society, inducting all individual members into its
moral norms, attitudes, values, motives, social roles, language and symbols is
the ‘means by which social and cultural continuity are attained' (Clausen 1968:
5)."
Now, I don't know about you, but the last time I checked, young mammals learn all about their culture and survival skills from the adults in their family. For example, when it's time for the wolves to go hunting, litter mates do not just run outside and catch a moose. They travel with the adults to the kill and then watch how it is done. Then they imitate what they've seen. The adults of the pack correct and refine their techniques and one day when they have reached adulthood they are able to hunt effectively. And those pups that don't pay attention are in serious jeopardy of not surviving to adulthood.
My father and I used to muse over the fact that we watch how mammals throughout the world raise their young, but deny the lessons that they teach when it comes to humans. Humans cannot learn about values, motives, social roles, language or moral norms from a someone who is in the same learning stages as themselves. Socialization comes from observing adults, watching how they deal with situations, asking questions, exploring your environment, etc. You don't do that in school. School is about regimentation and what is most efficient, not what is most beneficiary to an individual student.
Case in point, I know of a 7 year old who is having problems in school. Her mother suspects that she has learning disabilities and wants her to be put back into kindergarten to give her time to understand the basics, before being asked to perform the rigors of 1st grade. She's also asked to have her tested. They girl comes home with stomach aches, crying, fighting with siblings, not wanting to return to school, etc. But the school insists that she can't be placed into kindergarten because they can't leave anyone behind (don't even get me started on Bush!!!!) Her mother is not in a position to homeschool her at this time, and feels bad that her child's enthusiasm is being crushed under the wheels of the machine.
But back to socialization -- no where, but in school are people surrounded exclusively by people of their own age bracket. School is not a fair representation of life. When you go on a job interview, you're not being hired by another 18 or 21 year old. You're being hired by an adult in their 30s+ range. When you work in a position you are put into contact with people of all ages. But how do you know how to conduct yourself, if you've never had experience with this kind of diversity? Home school children play better in mixed age groups and have less behavioral problems (http://learninfreedom.org/socialization.html) than their mainstreamed peers. And it's only because they have to learn to deal on a regular basis with a broader spectrum than Brick and Mortar kids.
So instead of trying to figure out if the homeschooled kids have two heads, why don't we all work harder to break up the peer groups and make the children learn to have empathy for all peoples and not just for their cramped little age group?
Comments