Monday, August 06, 2007

The politics of Lego

Via David Thompson:

“The Legotown builders turned their attention to complex negotiations among themselves about what sorts of structures to build, whether these ought to be primarily privately owned or collectively used, and how ‘cool pieces’ would be distributed and protected… Into their coffee shops and houses, the children were building their assumptions about ownership and the social power it conveys — assumptions that mirrored those of a class-based, capitalist society — a society that we teachers believe to be unjust and oppressive. As we watched the children build, we became increasingly concerned.”

Read the rest here.

There are times when banging your head against the desk is the only sane response.

1 Comment:

Lord Trafalgar Rock Pigeon said...

...The removal of this favoured toy was apparently “to help focus students’ attention on issues of fairness.” ...

Says it all really, doesn't it?

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