Need for Discipline in Relationships with Children, The

Multicultural Education, Fall 2004 by Walker, Kasi

The Need for Discipline in Relationships with Children

Introduction

This review seeks to answer the question of why Marguerite and Willard Beecher wrote the book, Parerais on theRun: TheNeed for Discipline in Parent-Child and Teacher-Child Relationships, in 1955. This critique describes the historical context of the time in which the book was written. It also includes a personal reflection that describes at least five insights about the personal and professional growth that has been obtained from reading this book.

Historical Context

Marguerite and Willard Beecher wrote the book, Parents on the Run: The Need for Disciple in Parent-Child and Teacher-Child Relationships, because many cultural norms were beginning to be challenged during the 1950s. The fight for civil rights began in 1954 when the Supreme Court ruled in the Brown vs. Board of Education decision. White families felt that their educational culture was being jeopardized.

Even the students attending school could not be protected. 'We were told by the principal that we would be sent home for our own safety"(Williams, 1987, p. 108). Some children stayed in their present schools because many feared the threats and hostilities of the whites. However, minority families pushed "high educational goals on their children" (Willie, 1985, p. 33) because they believed that it would help fight racism.

The Korean War was also going on at this time. 'War, justifiable or not, is a descent into madness" (Bachrach, 1991, p. 6). Many Americans were worried about entering the Korean War because only five years before WWII had ended. War always creates some kind of uprising among the people, mostly by those that detest war or the reasons the United States gets involved in wars that are not our own. By the end of the Korean War in 1953, "most Americans wanted to forget this war as soon as it was over because it became the first military struggle America failed to win" (Uschan, 2001, p.10). Not only that, but they had failed against an enemy that was not well prepared.

Many of the moral views on sex that had been intact were also challenged in the 1950s. Marriage manuals began to be published. These magazines and books discuss the central role of sexual fulfillment in marriage and emphasized the idea that the woman's place was in the home. While the marriage manuals pertained to the heterosexual couples, same sex couples began to rally for support. They no longer wanted to be persecuted. 'Though gays and lesbians were targeted for especially cruel persecution during the 1950s, they began to form a political and cultural community" (Neuhaus, 2001). During the 1950s, there was also the development of oral contraception by Gregory Pincus and the first issue of Playboy magazine was issued in 1953.

Personal Reflection

After reading this book and doing research, I realized how many ways life changed in the 1950s, especially on the moral issues dealing with sex. I looked back on how I was raised and many of the rules in the household. Because my mother worked outside the home, the family was required to complete the housework together.

Although this is the way that I remember growing up, I must keep in mind that the way my students are raised will be different depending on the culture of each student. Not only that, but the style in which my students' parents chose to raise them will differ from household to household. I feel that it is necessary to understand the cares and concerns of each individual student's parent or parents. I would like to learn what goals the students have set for themselves, as well as the goals that the parents would like their children to achieve both inside and outside the classroom.

There were many statements on parenting and rearing in this book which I did not agree with because of my family environment. However, I do not conclude that the ideas were wrong or that there were not any good ideas on the issue. I feel that this has helped me to also realize that I do not have to agree with the ways that my students are raised, but I do have to accept it. My culture may have a tendency to want to interfere with my teaching techniques. This is okay as long as my students are also represented and my opinions do not offend those of my students or parents.

I now realize that I have the opportunity to positively impact all of the students whom I have in the classroom. The needs of each individual student need to be met. These needs will vary depending on culture, family upbringing, and society. As an educator, it will also be my responsibility to change my way of thinking and adapt to my students and the parents of my students. A culturally responsible pedagogist is "obligated to know their students' stories to begin understanding each student's unique cultural script" (Huber, 2002, p.9).

References

Bachrach, D. (1991). Korean War, The. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books.

Huber, T. (2002). Quality learning experiences (QLEs) for ALL students. San Francisco: Caddo Gap Press.

Neuhaus, J. (2001, May 31). Social and Economic Change in American History of the 1950s. Retrieved March 22, 2004. http:// home.earthlink.net/~neuhausj/1950s/