One thought that I had in a conversation recently
A) The most dominant approach (today, in Sweden, at least superficially) to children seems to be to encourage them in their interests and support them in making their own decisions.
To create space for the individual choice would be
the way to freedom, also in terms of creating a more equal society-
simply let everyone be exactly who they want from the start. It is good!
B) But assuming society isnt a blank slate, these children make their individual choices within a preexisting system of however subtle rewards and punishments.
C) Children copy and adapt. They will make active choices towards the pre-existing roles because that is still the norm, that behavior is still rewarded (the secret pride that the child "chose the right thing" despite the given "freedom"), and few actually want want to stick out, be different. Also very few dare to stick out and be different should they not identify with x role. Not because they are scared to do differently, but they are scared to be excluded.
D) If we really want things to change, ie mens violence towards women, equality in wages, freedom for men to spend more time with their children and so on and forth, we need to realize that we can't rely on the individual choice to produce changes on a larger scale.
E) Its connects to a sort of "dumping" of responsibility for necessary changes in regards to the environmental crisis, gender system and other important issues in our time.
F) It seems as if either the underlying idea is that we are born pure good and naturally inclined to strive for peace and wealth for everybody. Letting people choose freely would create the society of peace and happiness for everyone. Or, that whatever people choose when they choose "freely" is stated to be best for everyone, the natural state, they chose it themselves.
G) Im an anarchist, not interested in any body making my decisions for me. But being free and doing the right thing isn't easy, because society isn't a blank slate.
F) Society isn't a blank slate and the behavior rewarded isn't necessarily that which is "right".
Stockholm
150503
