Tuesday 15 March 2011

Freund, Margaret, How Primary Teachers Feel About What They Do

http://tiny.cc/k8qj7

Freund acknowledges that students are social agents too, but seems to both overemphasise and underemphasise the students' conscious ability and will to perform the emotional work of contributing to the classroom environment. In the first case, Freund argues that,
children learn that they should not be too assertive or aggressive, like Susan, a child in Mrs. D's class they will be described as a ‘little madam’, for once a child has been typified as disliked, it is almost impossible to change the typification (King 1984).
However true it may unfortunately be, the fact that labels tend to stick is an unlikely reason for Susan to avoid aggression.  On the other hand, Freund notes an instance in which she argues that students are 'social actors who have a part to play in the way that the social order of the classroom is constructed', and suggests 'being cute' is one of these 'strategies':
Being ‘cute’, is a guaranteed way of getting a response from a teacher and a special response when children use a stereotype of innocence and ‘babyish’ behaviour by acting in ways that appear submissive. Aaron was younger than the rest of his kindergarten class, physically smaller with pudgy, soft baby features, and when he was trying to avoid trouble he would sit passively with his head on the side like a puppy, a picture of innocence and soft baby features .
Aaron's physical appearance here is something he has no control over, and sitting quietly to avoid trouble is more a tautology than a deliberate attempt to get a response from a teacher.