THE BECOMING OF CAROLINE

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.