"The Coddling of the American Mind"

I am not sure you are aware of or read this subject book, but I did come

across the one hour CSPAN video "The Coddling of the American Mind",

in which the authors, Greg Lukianoff and Johnathan Haidt discussed it.

From the introduction:

Something has been going wrong on many college campuses in the last

few years. Speakers are shouted down. Students and professors say they

are walking on eggshells and are afraid to speak honestly. Rates of anxiety,

depression, and suicide are rising—on campus as well as nationally.

How did this happen? 

I did not read the book, but I learned enough from the one hour CSPAN

video to see a glaring omission, the possibility that "coddling" began

when raising children changed in our country, with the birth of "latch

key" school age children, leading to the the current state we are in!

Perhaps I am 'old school'  but discussions  of "micro aggression", "safe

spaces" and "demands of the students",  etc.  never occurred forty odd

years ago, which is more than troubling when the authors did not

delve into what could be the source of many of the problems today.

To me, the current method of public education may be the cause and

needs to be examined and compared with earlier education and

societal rearing. 

Did replacing at home development with day care have played a role?

Perhaps the uptick in single parenthood, leaving millions without the

presence of a father figure.

In K-12 we learned  the building blocks required to become responsible

adults. Observing that college students need "coddling"  also shows

many have yet to reach adulthood.

Even the word 'rigger', used to describe teaching, has been reduced to

a pacifier, perhaps to mislead parents, as true 'rigger'  and structured

standards were replaced with more relaxed ones so students could easily

advance without learning what is needed to meet the next grade's standard;

none which the authors discussed.

Our country turned for the better when more women with children chose

to pursue careers, but it needs to be understood such a change has a price,

and should be part of the discussion if there is to be a serious discussion.

Nor, did the authors address what else happened when women entered

the workplace; the 'delegation' of  parenting to public schools as well.

What was taught in the home was no longer taught at all.  The maturity

of children entering college was nonexistent in many, still immature,

leaving it up to administrators to handle, a task universities were never

charged to provide.

I don't know of anyone, other than Charles Murray, with  the courage

to compare then with now, so the public understands for themselves,

not be dependent on the education professionals to add another layer

of bureaucracy that fails public education as earlier ones have.

Pass along this email to friends in teaching.  AS always, your feedback

is appreciated.

This is the link to watch the video.

https://www.c-span.org/video/?450784-1/the-coddling-american-mind


Feel free to enter in comments section below, or email, ajbruno14@gmail.com "Point of View" blog http://ajbruno14.blogspot.com/