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My name is Anthony Simmons my birthday is May 12, 1988. I am currently in the Youth Development Major at Rhode Island College. I work at Swansea Total Fitness in Swansea Massachusetts. I have been working with the Total Fitness Clubs since November of 2012. I have some great ideas to utilize what I will accomplish with Youth Development including a group exercise for adolescence in the community of Swansea. If you have any question or would like to learn more follow my blog and leave a comment!

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Paradoxical Pathways: An Ethnographic Extension of Kohn’s Findings on Class and Childrearing


Kohn’s findings show me that researchers focus and manipulate results to reach their focal end scheme. The results seem to me, be more focused on the specific families followed during this case study. I was raised in a lower-middle class family and I found that the reading completely related to me. Though more of the positives than the negatives within the readings. I see that I have parents who cared fully about my education, leisure activities and also what was being taught within my religion’s CCD. “Results imply that, at the level of actual behavior, it is implausible to assume a simple one-to-one correspondence between class and either conformity or self-direction. Rather, the relations between value commitments and behavior are complex and may entail paradoxical pathways.”
My interpretation on this conclusion is that my beliefs of the reading were confirmed. Classes can’t be a measure by values and/or self-direction. Family units have a different way of raising their children. Just like youth and the way they learn in education. Every person is different from one to the next. Families don’t care less about their children because they are low income or if they are middle class. How often do we see in the media that a celebrity is fighting with their parents/managers because they don’t get their way. People make decisions based on impulses, not morals and values. That is why many people feel regret about decisions and outcomes in life. There is truly no perfect way educate or parent youth. Experiences help the development of youth based on what they have learned from their education and what teachings their parents instill in them. Kohn’s research seemed very biased for a researcher. Looking at the article in a different lens causes a different interpretation.

3 comments:

  1. Anthony, I agree with you when you said that the article may be a bit biased. I got that same feeling when reading it. Also, though I have mixed feelings about this, I think you're right to a certain point when you say that people act on impulse. That is true. But morals and values do play an important role as well. And you're right, there is no perfect way to parent or teach youth. However, I think we should do everything we possibly can to ensure that they feel comfortable and important in whichever environment.

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  2. Great video. Parents and coaches who act insane at sports games are ruining the game. They are forcing leagues to take away any competition between teams because parents and coaches cant handle it. Its about the kids, and if there having fun you should keep your mouth shut. I'm a very competitive person and I hope that I would never lose control like some of these folks did. and I think watching this video will make me more aware of my actions on the field.

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  3. I can understand why the article seems biased. I think that it is a bit valid though. I grew up low-income and I think my parents (although education was important to them) didn't know how to structure my leisure time. It wasn't that they didn't want to make every experience learning intentional, it was just because they didn't know how. I think lower income generally means less education, which might be an explanation why this case was accurate. I see it everyday with my students, there's such a big difference from one student whose parent is more educated and the parent who makes a lot less. I agree, though, there is no perfect way to raise a child. I think if there was classes to teach all parents about intentional learning and child-rearing we would see a much bigger difference, I think it's all about the parent having access to the information.

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