Not meant to be a how-to class, "Parenting for Progressives" is, as I see it, a forum for progressive parents to think politically about parenting in a way of online associates degree. The lectures and readings (drawn from the anthropological and sociological literature, as well as political essays and popular magazines) that make up the course help students put modern parenting into a political, economic and historically specific context, emphasizing the institutional and cultural underpinnings of what we consider "good" parenting.
Each week, I post a lecture - usually an overview of the readings (also posted online) - plus a series of questions or concerns for students to ponder privately or address with the other students on the electronic bulletin board. We study the daily life of children from preschoolers to teenagers; the toy industry; the controversies around circumcision, vaccinations and the use of ritalin; the role of race and class and the economy in society's changing expectations of mothers; and much more. We look at our own lives and reflect on the daily struggle to balance political work with the needs of our children, ourselves and our work lives.
And we take a moment to be visionary: fleshing out how we would most like to be parents and considering what institutional, communitarian and private supports we think should be in place to meet the needs of families and children.These are great readings… The one by bell hooks ["Homeplace: A Site of Resistance" from Yearning: Race, Gender and Cultural Politics]is in a class by itself - I just don't come across writings that discuss nurturing in the home as a moment of resistance… I love her writings. She gives you so much hope and inspiration… I think we need more people like her, or people like Michael Albert, with a pragmatic "Okay, what's next? What CAN we do?" (Instead of "What can't we do?"). I don't know about you all, but I don't think you can be lordly without hope when there are children around.Hello! I'm Anita Perry, hailing from Iowa City… I am now doing full time childcare of our children and building "homeplace. "I hope to gain insight into the broader cultural implications of our parenting choices.
I hope to expand my awareness of the ripples we create by the example we set.Using a wonderful piece of software called WebCT, I am able to post lectures, link key words and concepts to a glossary, interact with students through the bulletin board or the inter-student e-mail system or using "live chat," and track students' progress as they wend their way through the linked pages that make up the course.