Comments on: Unschooling Stereotype

By: Aadel

Aadel — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:06:32 +0000

I think of unschooling more of an educational choice, not a political stance. We are just starting to fully “unschool” after starting out semi-formal and gradually relaxing over the past 4 years. My husband serves in the military, and we are both conservative Christians. If you had to generalize us, it would be very difficult. I think many who tend to stereotype unschooling specifically, and homeschoolers in general, are irritated by the fact that most of us seemingly refuse to fit any standard mold fashioned by the very institutions we humbly avoid.

By: Stacie

Stacie — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:34:20 +0000

I don’t usually identify our family as unschoolers to other people. The reason is because, probably 9 times out of 10, I get a blank stare, or if they are familiar with homeschooling, the person will nod and say something to the effect of, “Oh, you’re one of THOSE…” I’m not sure what one of THOSE is, but I guess I am one

Years ago, before I considered the idea of homeschooling, I was guilty of stereotyping homeschoolers. The only family I knew that homeschooled didn’t believe in birth control, the mom never cut her or her daughters’ hair, and the females always wore denim jumpers or dresses. That certainly wasn’t me or my family. Then I met another woman who was similar to me and my beliefs who homeschooled, and my eyes were opened.

I think it is easy to stereotype, even without realizing it. I think that may be human nature. I consider myself very open minded, but catch myself revealing my stereotyping thoughts sometimes in conversation with my inquisitive boys.

Karen, thanks for bringing up an interesting topic!

By: Leslie in KY

Leslie in KY — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:32:52 +0000

“It’s because people don’t want to go back to those old categories of what’s liberal and what’s conservative. They want to see who is making sense, who’s fighting for them, who’s going to go after the special interests, who is going to champion the issues of health care and making college affordable, and making sure that we have a foreign policy that makes sense?”–democratic debate Tuesday Feb 26 BO

Unschoolers don’t want to go back to those old categories either and they don’t need to let someone define discussions in these terms. We want to talk about how children grow and learn, what our parenting journey is teaching us, and how unschooling benefits our families and our society. We don’t mind being categorized as unschoolers because we have a reasonably good, shared idea of what that category means.

By: Leslie in KY

Leslie in KY — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:28:47 +0000

My first thought is that we need to move beyond the liberal-conservative categories that have been polarizing this nation and controlling our national discussions. People do not fit neatly into these categories anywhere, although there are obviously people who take great pride in proclaiming allegiance to some ideologically pure form that they perceive, and seem to have a vested interest in continuing to define discussion and debate in these terms.

And some of you may recognize that what I have just said probably comes pretty much straight from the message in Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama.

I say turn the page. please.

By: Brad

Brad — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 05:26:16 +0000

sorry, that should have read …..”age old proselytizing” instead of “age proselytizing”…..

By: Brad

Brad — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 05:23:53 +0000

I am a new chatter there, I’m known as bhmjones, I’ve been there the last two fridays now and enjoy the place a lot and although I may not be able to make it the next few fridays due to a family illness I plan to attend as much as possible in the future.

I think that guy, and yes I too am male, simply had an agenda when he was there, he gave us his website address and when I loaded his site an audio of (presumably) him came on and started with the age proselytizing of xianity. I came back to the chat and asked him if he was a holy-roller and immediately he answered lol or something like that, but then after about 5 minutes he seem to get offended and abruptly said his goodbye’s and left.

I don’t usually pay to much attention to those types of people once they betray their true intentions like that, but since you want to discuss it here I’m cool with that.

To answer your questions:
1. obviously no we are not all left wing liberals, I personally consider myself too radical to be either left or right since I believe that humans do not need to be governed at all…
2. if being a lib means you automatically have to vote for a democrat, then you cross the line to mindless sheep arena and that don’t sound much like lib or unschooler-ish to me…
3. yes we are definitely large enough to have a stereotype applied to us since the ones applying the stereotype to us are xenophobic and illogical anyway..

By: Dawn

Dawn — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 05:12:45 +0000

I think we could be classified as eclectic unschoolers (if there is such a thing). We are without a doubt right wing conservative Christians. That being said I think it’s important that I mention that I don’t go around telling everyone that we unschool. I made that bad decision just weeks into our first year of homeschooling. You should have seen the look on that moms face. You would have thought I told her the sky is green and the grass is purple. I quickly learned that the term “unschool” was not (typically) socially accepted. I’m not sure what kind of preconceived ideas people end up having about unschoolers…but I do know that most people do make assumptions and that they are usually wrong.

By: Tammy S

Tammy S — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 04:42:35 +0000

Gosh, aren’t “unschooling” and “stereotyping” almost mutually exclusive terms? lol If unschooling is becoming a stereotype, I may have to rethink that label for our family! Seriously, I’m a Libertarian, very interested in no government involvement in our lives, probably more conservative than liberal if I have to put myself into a two-party box. Thanks for the thought-provoking post, Karen!

By: Gina

Gina — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 04:01:15 +0000

I enjoyed this topic. I recently came across something for “Christian Unschoolers” which did surprise me a bit, but I think like you said, it was because I too held this stereotype of unschoolers. I think it is good to challenge any stereotype because even if it fits a large number of people, it never fits everyone!
Thanks for bringing up this topic and for helping me think again.
I personally get frustrated when I meet new homeschoolers and they “assume” I am homeschooling for “Christian reasons”. I think this stereotype may be more typical in the bible belt but it frustrated me that this is assumed by the genral public as well as by Christian based homeschoolers.

I don’t like labels. I like to say we “learn through living” but have preferred to call myself an “unschooler” to separate myself from the school at home method homeschoolers who are prevalent where I live. Ye, I too don’t always say unschooler, it depends on who I am talking to.
Never good to assume.

By: Molly

Molly — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 03:12:53 +0000

Some(most probably) of my political leanings are liberal but there are some Libertarian ideals that sit well with me too, mainly things the gov’t shouldn’t be in, like our ability to choose unschooling. Like Sandra, I equate open-mindedness with liberal leanings. I also think that people are multi-faceted when it comes to things like this. I happen to be a Christian(unchurched for now, but raised Southern Baptist), unschooling, liberal. Most of the unschoolers I know are through lists/groups and I’ve noticed a wide range of religious preferences but I know very little about their politics(and I’ve been on one of the groups for 10 years with the same folks) so even being an unschooler I can’t stereotype *us* as one political group or another. I only know 3 other unschoolers locally and they are all Wiccan and VERY enigmatic as far as their politics go. Mr. Chat Guy would have a fit if he ever met one of them!!LOL

Molly