THE BECOMING OF CAROLINE

Authors

  • Margaret Gillett McGill University

Abstract

In the field of Education, we talk a lot about individual differences - how teachers should recognize them, how the curriculum should be organized around them, how the schools should foster them. Yet, I am indined to think this is one of the greatest con games in contemporary education. We still do not think in terms of individuals; we really worry about categories. We acknowledge that the quest for individual identity is one of the all-important concerns of education but - perhaps it's the pressure of mass age numbers - we are hung up on roles. Socially defined roles certainly can engender a sense of security, they may even be short-cuts to identity; but they are pre-packaged, not custom-made; they may be convenient, but they are not always apt; they tell you what you're supposed to do, not who you are.

Author Biography

Margaret Gillett, McGill University

Margaret Gillett is Professor of Education at McGill and Editor, McGil1 Journal of Education. Dr. Gillett is author of many papers in professional journals and of books such as A History of Education: Thought and Practice and The Laurel and the Poppy.

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Published

1971-09-01

How to Cite

Gillett, M. (1971). THE BECOMING OF CAROLINE. McGill Journal of Education / Revue Des Sciences De l’éducation De McGill, 6(002). Retrieved from https://mje.mcgill.ca/article/view/6830

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Articles