everything that's wrong with kids these days (or: reframing children's problems)

WHAT’S WRONG WITH KIDS

THESE DAYS?

“problem children”vs.

children’s problems

OR, TO PUT ANOTHER WAY, THIS IS THE TOPIC ABOUT...

dis⋅course an⋅al⋅y⋅sis [diss-kawrs ann-all-i-sis] – noun. Examining how we understand and think about the world by deconstructing the ways in which we talk about it.

facts and fictions about today’s youth

one of the biggest challenges children face is their relative

lack of social power

kids are rude

immoral

lazy & greedy

stupid

at-risk

kids are rude

“A crying baby is the best form of birth control.” –

Carole Tabron

kids are immoral

Cheating is relatively rare in classrooms where the learning is genuinely engaging and meaningful to students and where a commitment to exploring significant ideas hasn’t been eclipsed by a single-minded emphasis on “rigor.”

– Alfie Kohn

only 30-35% of children trust celebrities

77% trust friends

86% trust parents and teachers

kids are lazy & greedy

$1,800,000

kids are stupid

things today’s kids will

never know!(!!)

kids are at-risk

why do we stereotype kids?

blaming the victim:

living in a culture of fear:

idealizing the past:

targeting kids to absolve adults:

Kids’ Real Problems:

• Child abuse and neglect• Lack of affordable quality child care• Lack of access to good nutrition• Lack of access to health care• Lack of access to quality education• An adult culture of work and

efficiency

Struggles in Addressing These:• Images of childhood as a time of

innocence• Images of children as passive victims• Adult role expectation of protecting

the weak• Lack of adult awareness of realities

of kids’ lives• Limits of child assertiveness• Limits of child empowerment

where can we benefit from

critical perspectives?

Reading for the Week:• Pages 418-470