Capitalism Reaches its Ugly Claw into Recess
This is appalling: capitalist invasion by way of neoliberal privatising of playtime at recess and noon. Isn't it bad enough that we have a class division for families outside the school yard between the haves and the have-nots? Do we have to commodify and commoditize our children and their playtime so intrusively in the name of capitalist enterprise too, thereby creating - because of their young age - a powerful ideologically conditioned class system at the childhood level? Class is already everywhere for a child in our neoliberal world. Why enhance it. Rise up, parents.
Brutal.
ReplyDeleteBut not surprising. In the growing McDonaldsization of society, we want every aspect of our lives to be circumscribed and "purchased".
And - oddly enough - there will be the conservatives or neoliberals who will say, "Hey, it's free enterprise, if you don't like it, don't buy it" along with the more liberal or socialist types who will decry it, but find it perfectly acceptable as long as it's paid for by the state for all the children.
What ever happened to freedom for children to figure things out for themselves, including, school yard games and activities of their own creation that aren't "coached" and "controlled" by adults?
Of course, not to be outdone, now, in Alberta we're going to also have those children acting like Hitler-jugen watching and reporting on other children who might be bullying.
It's really, really tragic when you think about it.
At least with the state paid support, the economic effects of class difference are somewhat mitigated, and it is a collective action theoretically in the interests of us all.
ReplyDeleteYeah, you're right about the coached, controlled, and monitored world kids now inhabit - this last even by other kids, as you point out. Whatever happened to free play, unstructured, foolin' around time? Now we have structured one on one "play dates," and organized hockey teams and leagues for 5- and 6-year olds for the haves who, unlike the havenots, can afford all the expensive gear a parent simply must provide and who knows what other expenses. Kids would seem to be parented, in loco parentised, and organized ad nauseam.