Backlash in the society...

Commentators to the article I blogged about in the former posting "Boycott Dr Phil…" defended Dr Phil, and also a Swedish author Mia Törnblom who has written self help books in Swedish which are very popular here at present, she was also mentioned in the article I blogged about. This made me think.

One wrote that many older persons in Sweden think it is the height of the day when Dr Phil is on TV (my comment: no wonder they like these programmes? With a tired and ironic smile. Addition May 23: recognizing things they have experienced themselves and feeling comfortable with that these ideas are preached again probably. What is this form of denial called? Rationalization? Or excusing/justifying: where the person admits to the past but find rationales for what happened).

Are people (we) defending things which don’t challenge their (our) defences? They (we?) are challenged by things threatening their (our) defences? Why “older people” like Dr Phil and his programmes and his authoritarian (?) approach? Confirming the “right” thing in experiences they have endured: parent-figures (authorities) with an educating, authoritarian-who-doesn’t-allow-discussions-approach? And in fact, one of the commentators also wrote about Philip McGraw’s education, and that he uses his title, rightfully (my interpretation). She also thinks that people with a lower education are the one lying in a sofa zapping between channels on TV. Another wonders if the grudge from the author of the article comes from envy.

Here about Marie-Louise Wallin (in Swedish), she is educated teacher, so she isn’t entirely uneducated… See here too about her (also in Swedish). And she must have been working for quite a long time, as she was born 1933? Both as teacher and later as author. And even 75-year old women (with education), or did I count wrong, are apparently lying in their sofas at home zapping between TV-channels too (not only young people with low or no education)?

The whole title to her article is “Boycott Dr Phil – Marie-Louise Wallin has had enough of the self-help religion.”

In fact a leader-writer in a local newspaper here also writes about things paralleling this in a leader with the title ”Two years in each class.” He writes about the conservative thought giving the teacher in her/himself more authority, and about pupils/students and teachers as merchandise (??) on a tax-financed market at the same time as the school-world is becoming more and more segregated and jobs as teacher in some school de facto (or in practice) gets a lower status (I don't like this at all I want to add, and I don't watch Dr Phil of free will either. Maybe that has with my history to do of course. And I don't like the Nanny-programmes either. They also "fit" the trend? And I literally detest them. When I have seen them I have been forced, because I haven't been at home and had the possibility really to choose seeing them or not, being in other peoples' home).

I think the idea the leader-writer Göran Greider would support most is to value the whole idea with pedagogy more and see so headmasters can concentrate on those things (what's done in school and how) instead of those they concentrate on today (money and budgets), something he also writes about.

Our current school-minister refuses to compromise… He is quite authoritarian…

Yes, there is a neo-conservatism in the society, and a neo-authoritarianism. And when people are seen as merchandise everywhere no wonders we have problems? But what is the chicken and what is the egg? Which came first? Why are such ideas so spread today? How is it possible ideas like these, such views on human beings, get such a penetration (?) in the society?

The backlash is also shown in how little one talk about the ideas Miller stands for? And that Miller is hardly spoken about? At least not here or in the circles where I am in…

And that about pedagogy… But can there be a “pedagogy” with true, genuine respect for young people (and grown ups between too)?

Thinking loudly again, searching for something. In the middle of working.

And here Miller on self help therapy (Stettbacher's), and Miller writes quite a lot about other methods, such as positive thinking, NLP, meditation etc. I can't name them all, and now it's time for bed really!! Maybe I should blog about this too?

Something of what I have done today. :-)