Ginger, i was just wondering if this stuff starts way early, like all the parenting books, and the cultural lore telling people how to deal with children from birth -- put them in the crib and let them cry. they have to learn, that sort of thing. but there are cultures that are completely different. the infants live all day in a sling and nurse whenever, without all the time rules parents are taught in this culture. at night they sleep with their mother. when they get bigger other people take turns carrying the baby, including children. the explanation i have heard is that in those cultures, children are being raised to be a part of an extended and interdependent family. whereas, in our culture, children are being raised to be independent.
well now i would have my disagreements about the last bit there, i think. our options for survival, and the education Gatto is talking about are actually producing very dependent people.
i haven't gotten that far in the book yet, but i think he mentions that a little, that Americans had an independent way and then some completely different ideology got hold in the schools...
but think about that baby crying in the crib, who told his mom and dad to ignore that? where did that come from? and does it help to create a human who can then put up with a whole lot more inhumane treatment through its life?