The Montessorian child: a new social definition of the child?
Leroy, Ghislain
The Montessorian child: a new social definition of the child? - 2024.
23
The figure of a “Montessorian” child is on the rise in multiple instances of socialization: public schools, private schools, but also in certain middle and upper middle class families. Through a study of adult teacher and family discourses which promote this new figure of the child, we study its ideal-typical characteristics. The Montessorian child is a responsible and autonomous child; he does not need adult injunction to approach legitimate learning activities and carry them out successfully. More than obedient, he is (must be) sincerely interested in these activities, which can be explained in particular by prior family socialization work, which turns out to be continued in school spheres. In its current forms, Montessorism is a pedagogy of socialization towards child autonomy (the adult waits for the child to do for himself). Children must have accepted these social expectations from an early age, which raises the question of today’s stronger disciplinary expectations towards them, and of less tolerance towards alternative behaviors.
The Montessorian child: a new social definition of the child? - 2024.
23
The figure of a “Montessorian” child is on the rise in multiple instances of socialization: public schools, private schools, but also in certain middle and upper middle class families. Through a study of adult teacher and family discourses which promote this new figure of the child, we study its ideal-typical characteristics. The Montessorian child is a responsible and autonomous child; he does not need adult injunction to approach legitimate learning activities and carry them out successfully. More than obedient, he is (must be) sincerely interested in these activities, which can be explained in particular by prior family socialization work, which turns out to be continued in school spheres. In its current forms, Montessorism is a pedagogy of socialization towards child autonomy (the adult waits for the child to do for himself). Children must have accepted these social expectations from an early age, which raises the question of today’s stronger disciplinary expectations towards them, and of less tolerance towards alternative behaviors.
Réseaux sociaux