of Valeria Traversi
is the oldest and best known school educational criteria set to libertarians.
publish a biography of Alexander Neill, the founder, and a chapter in the author's thesis on the influence of sessuolibertario thought of Wilhelm Reich. Meanwhile, the experience of Summerhill, in England, continues.
A lexander Sutherland Neill was born in Scotland in 1883 by a family of schoolteachers. The atmosphere is authoritarian and severely. The father is authoritarian and austere man, making use of corporal punishment, such as whips and sticks. Alexander is not very good at studies it passes molto tempo nei campi a fantasticare e giocare. Visti gli scarsi risultati, il padre lo indirizza versa la carriera di maestro elementare. “« Il ragazzo è un disastro » disse tristemente mio padre. « Potrebbe fare il maestro » arrischiò mia madre” ( 1 ).
Dopo essersi laureato in Letteratura inglese all’Università di Edimburgo, insegna per diversi anni nelle scuole statali. Nel 1921 insieme alla maestra di danza Christine Baër, dà vita a Dresda in Germania alla scuola internazionale, nel 1923 la scuola si sposta a Sonntagberg in Austria ma viene chiusa quasi subito per i suoi metodi non convenzionali, opposti a quelli delle autorità premises. In 1924 Neill and Lilian
Neustatter, his first wife, the school moved to England and founded in Lyme Regis on the English Channel, the school-community of Summerhill ( hill summer because the house sits on a hill) , then transferred at Leiston in Suffolk (2 ).
the death of Lilian, married with Ena Wooff, whose union was born Zoe, who now heads the School. Both Lilian Neustatter Wooff is Ena, who will head the school after Neill's death until 1985, as well as other teachers Cristine Baer, \u200b\u200bMary Artner and Inge Foestal contribute to the construction of the teaching program.
Summerhill stands out from the educational experiences for the libertarian its duration, even if not directly inspired by the anarchist principles, captures all the implicit theoretical assumptions in the light of psycho-educational studies. In fact the work of Alexander Neill is inspired by the founding fathers of modern psychology and pedagogy. Freud, Adler, Reich Lane and affect the studies of Neill, enriching his analysis with revolutionary theories, which opposed the traditional rule and authoritarian.
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| Alexander Neill, behind the school Summerhill |
"Summerhill" aspires to the formation of a new type of education, wants to be a synthesis of the first forms of libertarian experimentation and new forms of pedagogy, more research of freedom and happiness.
The access to the school at the age of five years, but they are rare in boys and girls who come after periods in state institutions or religious. Usually stay at Summerhill lasts up to sixteen. They are housed both boys and girls, up to a maximum of forty-five, some of which comes from foreign countries.
are divided into three groups according to age: five to seven years, from seven to eleven, from eleven to sixteen.
The properties will be planned taking into account the age and sex, each group is assigned one or an assistant. For the group "intermediate" there is a stone building, but the boys and older girls living in wooden houses, only a few small rooms have private, in fact, generally live in three or four per room. There are no inspections of the rooms and there is complete freedom.
The idea on which the school is to "adapt the school to the child ( 3), instead of adapting the child to school, she aspires to the creation of an institute where boys and girls are free to be themselves, for this is necessary to deny any kind of discipline, moral education and religious education . Neill has faith in the innate goodness of children, an idea that has never failed, indeed has almost become a form of faith.
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| Alexander Neill and the boys and girls of Summerhill |
Lessons in Summerhill are optional, exists only for the time and the teachers, everything takes place in a free environment where nothing is authoritative, it is very easily noticed the difference: those who have always lived in Summerhill shows interest to learning because it is a voluntary choice, whoever comes after a more or less long or religious state schools, where attendance is a requirement, developing a sense of aversion to the study and the school, and in fact rarely attend classes at the beginning.
examinations do not exist, but if a boy or a girl decides he wants to study for the entrance test university, the faculty will prepare him without problems, not only because they are highly qualified but also because those studying for her will do so more quickly and interested, as is his decision.
In a general meeting, held on Saturday, it establishes rules to establish or abolish, the choices are made through the democratic vote, all and all have a vote of equal value. The
and Summerhill students come from wealthy families, it is not possible to keep the school open even to low or low-middle classes, precisely because the economic problems prevent it. This is definitely a problem that should not be underestimated: it is difficult assess the "true" nature of a human being if it is behind the money and the environment bourgeois. So
Summerhiil is a school of freedom, where "common sense" does not fail, in fact to protect the safety of boys and girls are more basic choices and vote on them. The end of the school is to make them happy and not to reform society, it is not possible, it is inevitable to accept the compromise because the company requires them. Neill writes " are not a person who actively seeks converts to change society: I can only try to convince the public that it is necessary to get rid of hatred, punitive methods, mysticism . "
If you want more information about Summerhill school, consult the website: http://www.summerhillschool.co.uk/
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| School Summerhill |
Pleasure is even self-government
Reich and Neill compared
Summerhill is a symbol of the movement of modern schools, wants to develop the meaning of school aims to develop self-government in individuals.
Neill admits he never made a thorough study of psychology, but have put together the thesis that mean something more important to him. In fact, his first philosophical beliefs are a combination of practical experience and popularized psychology.
The idea that gave rise to the educational experience of Summerhill was that of wanting to build a new generation free from the problems of society, who reside in the repression of natural impulses of the child or the child. Neill notes that, erasing the moral instruction, the boy or the girl who showed a markedly issue, returns to its original goodness, developing in a positive nature, free from guilt and hatred.
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| Alexander Neill and his daughter Zoe |
the late 40's, Neill studied the text " Character Analysis" of the psychologist Wilhelm Reich, realizing that the ideas that have characterized his career are interwoven seamlessly with the thought Reich. Reich asserts that it has a strong influence on him expanding his knowledge of being. Reich is convinced that the cruel and aggressive personality traits are the result of authoritarian educational practices and sexually repressive. Sexual repression leads to a severe fear of sex, which in turn causes a more general fear of pleasure. Unlike Freud, who believed that these impulses were in conflict with the aggressive instincts, Reich sees aggression as a consequence of the repression of sexual impulses. According to Reich, emotional repression creates a shield in the individual physical and mental, which is used to protect and remove the "fear of pleasure." The shell begins to form already during childhood, in response to the limits. We see it as a mechanism adaptation profound environment. The shield is a useful barrier to pain, which tends to grow as much suffering has been prolonged. The need to protect themselves from evil comes from the mind which fears that the pain would always return, even if the suffering leaves the shell remains forever, stiffening not only the mind but also physical, the chest muscles, diaphragm, neck, shoulders and spine and in particular the pelvic area.
In psychoanalysis has been shown that the sexual instinct is already present in childhood and contributes to the formation of human character. The
sexual curiosity usually begins around the third year of age, in the form of an interest in physical differences between men and women and among people of different ages, has no particular character in childhood, but is simply part of the curiosity General. Neill says that all human beings are conditioned by sex and it is right that this be expressed freely. A condition our writing about safe sex was the family context. His father's family was very strict Calvinist and in sexual matters, so severely repressed any act "anti-moral", generating fear in the child and guilt for his natural instincts. Neill is aware that this is another form of coercion of adults, so to bring up young men and women dedicated to the love and pleasure, it is necessary for self-government, is carried out also in the sexual instincts. Childhood and adolescence should be full liberty to touch any part of the body including the genitals, not to be placed no obstacle to masturbation, it also accepted the sexual life of the boy and girl sex play open and declared between boys and girls among brothers and sisters. If the child or the child was self-regulated or self-regulated from the beginning as it does among the natives ( 4) of the Trobriand ( 5) who attend the sex of the parents, the birth and death, as the facts in common everyday life and not be negatively influenced by large, will be neither repressed nor sadists ( 6).
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| Summerhill today |
One of the greatest joys in life is sex, which together with love is the supreme ecstasy, has no rivals because it is the most explicit form of giving and receiving. Yet that is Neill Reich, they realize that sex is an object of hate, would not otherwise explain why a parent punishes the child or the child when masturbating or father forbids her daughters to a sex life outside marriage. Yet love is everywhere, there is talk of more films, novels, advertisements (where the allusions are very clear), this suggests the importance of sex in our lives, yet it is as if you were viewing only and is rarely put into practice love. Frustrated and unable to love, of course, we are content to sit back and watch love stories filtered from fiction, movies, advertising. The approval applies only to all that is around sex. The sexual act for the "right-thinking" is wrong, corrupt souls, move them away from the moral teachings. Yet many business interests flourish around sex and its repression, just think about fashion and cosmetics manufacturers. Every woman is keen to appear more beautiful in front of his man, but this can not go beyond a good-looking if it wants to become a "very good", while advertising the product that convinced us to buy (most likely) is presented in scenes between men and effusions woman, who draws our attention, upsetting our ethical and at the same time we refuse to find ourselves in the same position of the spot. Again we are looking at love.
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| A lesson in Summerhill |
Even the churches, theaters, cinemas and publishers enrich themselves through sexual repression. Guilt is a constant in the Christian religion into the mind that sex is not as if the end of procreation is wrong, forcing an entire society to adopt a lifestyle in which their freedom is compromised. Teach what is right or wrong, what is moral or not, condemns any form of pleasure, just like sex. The mortification of the flesh is very popular among i fedeli , proprio perché credono che trascini verso il basso. Il corpo è indecente: spinge l’essere umano al male, proprio per questo bisogna che gli istinti naturali vengano repressi per fare spazio alla castità e a una condotta di vita morale, fatta di perbenismo e di esaltazione dei valori etici. Le Chiese spingono verso una repressione che si traduce in odio, Summerhill professa amore che si traduce in piacere, non è quest’ultima una forma di religione più sana?
Reich però rimprovera Neill di non spingersi abbastanza oltre, fino a favorire i rapporti sessuali tra adolescenti a Summerhill. “ Gli ho ben detto ” scrive Neill “ che permettere una completa vita sessuale agli adolescents means to close my school and when the government had news (7 ). Neill is not opposed to sex, even sex, seen in a form of love of neighbor, a true expression of life, impossible to hate, but realizes that by encouraging certain behaviors among boys and girls would endanger the lives of Summerhill .
Reich argues that we must free the company from its repressive institutions more if you want to prevent society from degenerating into an authoritarian society, which means the abolition of coercive marriage and the patriarchal family. The first is an expression of sex restricted to marriage, which must be maintained for the entire lives of the two spouses. While the second is the first form of government with which it comes into contact very often and is an expression of severity of punishment to the behavior deemed "sinful", and one of them is certainly sexual. Even as Reich Neill sees the development of self, the only way to liberate the individual from any form of authoritarianism, even the "most repressive". Individuals who choose to implement substantial changes in their habits rediscover the moralistic foreign and ridiculous behavior, premarital chastity, the relationship "necessary evil" with religion and work, total collapse, the duty of coercion becomes inconceivable. Through self-government is the shield that dismantled us away "from the fear of pleasure," because the individual is related differently to the world around him, the "new" education looks at the libertarian principles and aspires to "training" of be a totally free in both mind and body, in fact the pursuit of happiness and pleasure is also reflected in the sexual act. The free choice of partner implies a total emancipation from coercive marriage, who considers sex as a marital situation in which there are many women. Freedom from "fear of pleasure" turns love into a constant of life, have sex and make happy your partner or friend becomes the basis of a non-repressive and anti-authoritarian. The pleasure becomes a capacity to govern themselves, while making someone else happy.
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| Vote to the General Assembly |
The family has important influence: più questa è autoritaria e repressiva, più farà crescere deviati e repressi fanciulli e fanciulle.
Neill osserva che la maggior parte dei genitori sono assolutamente convinti che serva l’istruzione ai valori morali, hanno il timore che, se non inculcano queste “virtù” ai loro pargoli, questi cresceranno selvaggi, indomabili e senza considerazione per gli altri. Questa analisi nasce dal fatto che la Chiesa cristiana ha convinto l’uomo e la donna della loro condizione di peccatori, per cui devono imparare ad essere buoni altrimenti le loro anime saranno perdute. La Chiesa e la scuola sono perfettamente d’accordo sul fatto che il bambino e la bambina debbano essere salvati dal peccato, non possiamo aspettarci that parents would be opposed to those authorities. The Church maintains that when we sin must be punished, the same thing makes the school and the parent, all three want to "save" by imposing fear. The family that wants to embody the ethical behavior will bring up their sons or daughters in an atmosphere bigot, in which all the natural instincts are suppressed, such as love and sex, banned sex toys and masturbation, make the young person frustrated and distorted. Parents choosing morality, promote the misery of this perverted society, " precisely because it is the result of this perversion of the moral code. Parents should not hate the war, because it is the hatred of themselves that have sent their children is expressed through the war. Humanity is sick, sick of his emotions, and it is sick because of feelings of guilt and anxiety that people acquire in early childhood. The emotional plague is everywhere in our society . "(8 )
It is essential that education does not see the harm in sex, which makes moral, not moralists, making love and sex coexist at the same time, because both components allow the achievement of genuine pleasure.
Valeria Traversi
- Alexander S. Neill, Neill ! Neill! Orange Peel! , New York, Art Publishing Company Inc, 1972 (trans. it.di Silvia Giacomoni Autobiography, Milano, Arnoldo Mondadori, 1974, p.. 71).
- Alexander S. Neill, Summerhill boys happy , Novara, Red edition, 2004, p. 1.
- Ibid, p.. 24.
- Margaret Mead was born in Philadelphia in 1901 and died in New York in 1978. It was a famous American anthropologist, a character out of the ordinary, in fact, led a busy life and unconventional.
He published many books, including in 1935 " Sex and temperament "based on research done in New Guinea, the islands Trombiand. His studies showed that the personal difficulties faced by young Westerners are generated mainly from the constraints and impositions, that the most moralistic, and traditionalists impose Western culture. Adolescents of New Guinea, on the contrary, they are left free to come to physical maturity, identity, sexual, social, without excessive demands and not suffering from the crisis and the difficulties encountered by Western peers. - Alexander S. Neill, Summerhill boys happy , cit. , P.. 242.
- Ibid p.. 238-247.
- Joel Spring, Education libertarian, Milano, Eleuthera edition, 1981.
- Alexander S. Neill, Summerhill a proposal against the repressive society , cit. , P.. 243.
38 years No 339
November 2008
http://anarca-bolo.ch/a-rivista/339/27.htm
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