|
COPYRIGHT 2005 Caddo Gap Press
"Character education" represents a long-standing staple of U.S.A. schools. From the "Old Deluder Satan" Law of 1647 to The New England Primer in the 18th century to McGuffey Readers from the late 1830s (and well into the 1920s), the idea of transmitting core values to the young is so deeply rooted in the history of schooling that "morals" is often assumed to be a "given." (1) Over time, various social and religious concerns melded into a taken-for-granted presupposition that schools should play a major role in transmitting "good character" and fostering character development. Not only is there little contestation about the role of character education in schools, there is a dearth of literature connecting corporatization and character education. Even including Alex Molnar's and Michael Apple's work, little has been written about the specific instances of or connections between commercialism and teaching character in schools. (2) While Kaestle notes that the common school movement was successful in creating an "ideology centered on republicanism, Protestantism, and capitalism, three sources of social belief that were intertwined and mutually supporting," (3) there is little specifically about Christian fundamentalism, character education, and commercialism. Molnar's chapter in The Construction of Children's Character is an overview of commercialism in schools. He provides many examples of corporate intrusion into classroom life and argues that such a presence in schools undeniably influences students' character (negatively). Apple's work, too, is replete with instances of how neo-conservatives and right-wing organizations have increased their power and influence on school policy. While I value and appreciate this work, missing, on my view, are more detailed, "case analyses." This essay attempts to fill that void. I specifically link Christian fundamentalism to a school-business partnership sponsor (Truett Cathy and Chick-fil-A) that provides a character education curriculum ("Core Essentials") for public schools. The emphasis is on deconstructing the "Core Essentials" curriculum while also revealing Christian fundamentalist links to the corporate/school nexus. These links are developed and brought together in what might seem like unorthodox ways, but the links are intended to help us reconsider the degree to which both school-business partnerships, generally, and a Christian fundamentalist-supported character education program, specifically, should be avoided.
I explore three main lines of inquiry: (1) the specifics of "Core Essentials" as a strategy for teaching character; (2) the role (and ironies) of private businesses influencing public school curricula; and (3) the assumptions inherent in the kind of teaching of character outlined by "Core Essentials." Girding this inquiry is a concern about the problematic enterprise of teaching character, itself, as if it were an unquestionable domain. Further, the oddly-but-related contexts of childhood obesity findings and Christian influences (both general symbolism and fundamentalist indoctrination) on and in public spheres will be considered via Theodore Brameld's Ends and Means in Education, John Dewey's Moral Principles in Education, and Pierre Bourdieu's Acts of Resistance and Firing Back. (4) To be clear, this essay extends Weber's, Kaestle's, Apple's and others' views of Protestantism merging with capitalism to create historical realities (for Kaestle) or problematic situations (for Weber and Apple) by forcing the element of Christian fundamentalism into the equation. It is not a small matter, on my view, that the curriculum this essay considers is financially supported by a Christian fundamentalist. Indeed, the curriculum, as will be shown, encourages students to financially support the company itself (and corporate chief), thus setting up a cycle whereby unwitting teachers and students finance a Christian fundamentalist's policies that, in turn, support Christian fundamentalism in general. (5)
Overview: From Character to Cathy
Current state curricula often include character education and a series of organizations have been established to advance the idea that character education is fundamental to schools. National programs that currently exist include, among others, "Character Counts!" from the Josephson Institute and "A 12-Point Comprehensive Approach to Character Education" from The Center for the 4th and 5th Rs (respect and responsibility). Other national and international organizations include the Character Education Partnership (CEP), and The Institute for Global Ethics. (6) These organizations proclaim themselves to be non-partisan and each identifies universal values that should be adopted, though the number of values varies. Michael Josephson developed "Character Counts!," the most widely used character education program in the U.S.A. Josephson retired from careers in law, business, and education to run the Joseph and Edna Josephson Institute, named for his parents. He serves the organization without a salary and all proceeds from speaking engagements and written work are stated as going directly back into the non-profit institute. (7) The Center for the 4th and 5th Rs is led by Thomas Lickona, a professor of educational psychology at the State University of New York-Cortland. The Center for the 4th and 5th Rs is a university bureau committed to "building a moral society and developing schools which are civil and caring communities." (8) Lickona is a widely published author who also serves on the board of the CEP. Josephson and Lickona, however, are not the only ones influencing character education programs. (9) Truett Cathy also influences character education curriculum in the U.S.A.
Cathy is the founder and CEO of Chick-fil-A, the fast food restaurant headquartered in Georgia. Cathy is also an avowed Christian fundamentalist. (10) Accordingly, he donated an "age-appropriate" (protestant) Bible to every school library in the state of Georgia in 2003. He is also the financial resource behind the national "Core Essentials" character education initiative based in Georgia and through his financing, Chick-fil-A sponsors the teacher's guides sent to each school. (11) In addition, Cathy teamed with William Bennett to offer wrist bands and cassettes as part of "kid's meals" at various Chick-fil-A stores. The wrist bands and cassettes tout such values as "respect," "courage," and "honesty."
Since Truett Cathy is a fundamentalist Christian as well as private businessman, I question the understanding demonstrated by Georgia State Superintendent of Schools, Kathy Cox, in a July 1, 2003 letter to Georgia school principals. She wrote that Truett Cathy is "a pioneering businessman" whose "generosity" allowed for an "age-appropriate Bible" to be placed in every school library in the state. She also wrote that Truett Cathy's "initiative has been completely funded by Mr. Cathy. No state funds have been used to supply this book to your school. Mr. Cathy has a passion for helping children, [sic] and he sees this as another way to encourage the youth of our great state." (12) What does the distinction between state and private funds for Bible purchases and placement mean? Does the fact that a Christian fundamentalist funded a character education program represent any challenges or concerns for, say, students who are Jewish or Agnostic or Muslim? Indeed, as this essay will soon show in detail, at least some of the money Cathy used to buy Bibles for public schools came, by extension, from elementary students who were themselves subjected to the very character education curriculum Cathy underwrites.
Differently, but still related to Christian fundamentalism, is there any connection between Kathy Cox's endorsement, nay, praise of Truett Cathy and Cox's claim that the term "evolution" is a "buzzword" that should be replaced in the state curriculum of Georgia? (13) If Truett Cathy were actually interested in the welfare of children, why would he promote unhealthy fast-food as part of a character education program that touts "honesty" as a virtue? Indeed, what assumptions are made by Truett Cathy, furthered by the state, and pushed into the hands of teachers by the private, nonprofit Core Essentials organization that Cathy's profits from Chick-fil-A support?
The Program Itself: Detailing Various Aspects
A visit to the Chick-fil-A website reveals an interesting phenomenon. On the page displaying information regarding Chick-fil-A's support of "Core Essentials," the company also notes the following: "Amid our nation's growing concern for...
Read the full article for free courtesy of your local library.
|
Bookmark this article
Print this article
Link to this article
Email this article
Digg It!
Add to del.icio.us
RSS
