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There are as many types of minds as there are children. Yet
society tends to pigeon-hole ways of thinking and being in large, clunky and
unhelpful categories. Investigating these categories and who produces, sustains
and profits from them is a key concern of this project.
We are interested in the multiple processes that influence the ways in which
children experience the world intellectually and emotionally. We are also
interested in investigating the contemporary discourses of intelligence, learning
and ‘natural’ development, which tend to reflect the values of
the dominant groups in society, and which are ultimately replicated in the
philosophy and practices of the educational system.
For example, why is there such a strong contemporary push to return to “the
basics” in education? Who determines what is ‘basic’ to
learning, and why? Why are music, art and creative writing being defunded
and derided whereas science, technology and traditional math and reading skills
are increasingly promoted? What are the impacts of these educational shifts
on children’s minds and ways of being?
Using both theory and empirical data we attempt to link the major trends in
educational theory and policy with broader socio-economic transformations
in society. We examine the rise of the testing and accountability culture
in schools, the increasing use of computer, television and video games at
home, the growing diagnoses of attention deficit disorder, and the use of
stimulant drugs to treat behavioral problems as just a few of the many issues
currently impacting the development of children’s minds.
Related Books and Articles:
Levine, Melvin. A Mind at a Time.
Healy, Jane. Endangered Minds: Why Our Children Don't Think.
Perret, Peter & Janet Fox, foreword by Maya Angelou. A Well-Tempered Mind: Using Music to Help Children Listen and Learn.
Valenzuela, Angela, editor. Leaving Children Behind: How "Texas-style" Accountability Fails Latino Youth.
Reclaiming Childhood is an interdisciplinary, collaborative research project that examines the changing nature of American childhood. Under the auspices of the Simpson Center, Project Director Katharyne Mitchell aims to engage faculty from the University of Washington with students, parents, mentors, teachers, and administrators in a discussion of the multiple factors affecting childhood and schooling in the contemporary era.
About the Project
Mind