new book about homeschooling mothers

[JennyD]

From NYU Press -- looks like it's due to be released in another week or so. Could be interesting. The author is a sociologist whose last book was about search and rescue workers.

 

http://nyupress.org/books/book-details.aspx?bookid=5274#.UMjVpXPjkz0

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Looks interesting.

[HS Mom in NC]

It would be interesting to compare it to this one printed in 2001:

 

http://www.amazon.co...ooling movement

 

Author Mitchell Stevens did a really great job showing the evolution of homeschooling at that time.

[Farrar]

Eh. I feel like there have been a lot of anecdotal research books like this. I would really like to see more data-driven research. The amount we don't actually know in sheer numbers about homeschooling is immense.

[ErinE]

Eh. I feel like there have been a lot of anecdotal research books like this. I would really like to see more data-driven research. The amount we don't actually know in sheer numbers about homeschooling is immense.

 

I agree. I just finished "Love in the Time of Homeschooling" and thought, "That's it?" While I thought the premise was interesting, it was so incomplete. There wasn't any discussion on coping with poor attitudes, life problems, or dealing with learning difficulties. Every other book tends to come from a very biased viewpoint (both for and against) without good statistics.

[JennyD]

Eh. I feel like there have been a lot of anecdotal research books like this. I would really like to see more data-driven research. The amount we don't actually know in sheer numbers about homeschooling is immense.

 

True, but at least she's an actual ethnographer, as opposed to other folks who have written similar-ish books.

 

I also recently got this through the university library:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Homeschooling-America-Capturing-Assessing-Movement/dp/145220523X

 

and it was so bad I was honestly befuddled. It's basically a literature review of existing studies, with no original research and barely any critical analysis of the studies discussed. Zero added value except for the bibliography. Plus, the book is written in the first person plural and I could not find anywhere an acknowledgment of who the other authors were.

 

I realize that there are all sorts of methodological hurdles to collecting quantitative data on homeschoolers, which is why I'm sympathetic to scholars like the one above who take a stab at addressing some questions from a qualitative perspective, but the Murphy book just takes a total pass on even trying to do anything new.

[ErinE]

It's basically a literature review of existing studies, with no original research and barely any critical analysis of the studies discussed. Zero added value except for the bibliography. Plus, the book is written in the first person plural and I could not find anywhere an acknowledgment of who the other authors were.

 

I realize that there are all sorts of methodological hurdles to collecting quantitative data on homeschoolers, which is why I'm sympathetic to scholars like the one above who take a stab at addressing some questions from a qualitative perspective, but the Murphy book just takes a total pass on even trying to do anything new.

 

Did you like any of the books or reports in the bibliography?

[kalanamak]

Mothers who homeschool constantly face judgmental .... blah blah blah.

 

Where is my holding your nose emoticon. About the only think I do constantly is produce fluids to coat my mucous membranes. Even heartbeats, breathing, and peristalsis isn't "constant".

[Hunter]

I'm curious about the book. It's not a topic I have ever brought up as a stand alone topic, but I have some strong opinions on the effects of homeschooling on the moms. Usually everyone wants to know how it affects the kids, but pay little attention to what happens to the moms.

 

Ducking as I say this, but...

 

A women's greatest chance of death when pregnant is homicide by the baby's father. This is because she is financially vulnerable as well as physically vulnerable. And this situation is short term. Compare this to a mom that is homebound and jobless sometimes for decades. Obviously not all pregnancies or homeschools involve abuse! I'm not saying that!!!!!! But I am saying that certain periods and activities of motherhood make us more vulnerable, and IF there ARE issues that are not as they should be, that vulnerability sometimes is taken advantage of by perpetrators.

 

I do not believe that homeschooling puts children at greater risk of abuse, but I do believe it puts MOMS at greater risk of abuse. I don't believe that schools protect children. I don't believe social services protect children except in rare cases. I do believe that being in the workforce DOES protect women, though, a LOT.

 

Maybe I should not have brought this up. I'm just really curious what topics the book covers, and what the worldview is.

[Crimson Wife]

Who are these HS moms who "sacrifice their independent selves for many years"? Maybe it's a sign of being a lousy HSer, mom, and wife, but I feel plenty independent. My kids get dragged to all kinds of things because I want to go.

[Halcyon]

Who are these HS moms who "sacrifice their independent selves for many years"? Maybe it's a sign of being a lousy HSer, mom, and wife, but I feel plenty independent. My kids get dragged to all kinds of things because I want to go.

 

I agree. I work out, cook, bake, scrapbook, see friends (although i am pretty introverted) and work three afternnons/evenings a week, and we still get a lot done academically. I feel a lot more independent than someone tied to a typical nine to five job structured around a corporation's needs. I would much rather live a more frugal life structured around MY NEEDS and my FAMILY'S needs. I feel more independent, more powerful and more free because i homeschool.

[LibraryLover]

I feel a bit guilty thinking, before reading it, that it sounds like a giant negative about hsing mothers. (WHY would women choose to hs???!?? if they could do something 'better'?) It could be a long essay on how women hold themselves back 'for the sake of the children', or that hsing mothers are pathologically enmeshed. I'm letting my mind go places it shouldn't at this point. lol If it gets thoughtful reviews, I'll read via ILL. :) I'm hoping the author understands. In the article review, she reported what mothers said.

[Farrar]

Good grief. I didn't even properly read the blurb before. Sigh. This is what bothers me... I'm sure that's true for some women. But I'm sure that's also true for some women with their jobs, or with their families even though their kids go to school and they have outside jobs... yet it's only with women who homeschool that we would hear it discussed in those terms.

[LibraryLover]

Good grief. I didn't even properly read the blurb before. Sigh. This is what bothers me... I'm sure that's true for some women. But I'm sure that's also true for some women with their jobs, or with their families even though their kids go to school and they have outside jobs... yet it's only with women who homeschool that we would hear it discussed in those terms.

 

 

I hope the woman who wrote the book actually homeschools. I once read a homebirth book by a woman who hadn't given birth, nor helped catch a baby. Not saying there wasn't some OK info, but given the sensitive issue, the book didn't do a thing for me. There was no emotion, no voice, no true understanding.

[LibraryLover]

I have never heard of her, but I am sure she is an intelligent person, and I hope will understand why we do what we do.

 

A quick Google: she has previously written about hsing mothers.

 

Lois, Jennifer. 2009. “Emotionally Layered Accounts: Homeschoolers’ Justifications for Maternal Deviance.†Deviant Behavior 30:201-234.

Lois, Jennifer. 2006. “Role Strain, Emotion Management, and Burnout: Homeschooling Mothers’ Adjustment to the Teacher Role.†Symbolic Interaction 29:507-30.

[Farrar]

This is the Homeschool Research Notes summary of that article:

 

http://gaither.wordpress.com/2009/04/07/lois-on-deviant-homeschooling-moms/

[LibraryLover]

This is the Homeschool Research Notes summary of that article:

 

http://gaither.wordp...schooling-moms/

 

 

I can't find her research/paper right now. I'll search tomorrow.

 

I had hoped she was a hser.

[LibraryLover]

double post

[Reya]

A women's greatest chance of death when pregnant is homicide by the baby's father. This is because she is financially vulnerable as well as physically vulnerable. And this situation is short term. Compare this to a mom that is homebound and jobless sometimes for decades. Obviously not all pregnancies or homeschools involve abuse! I'm not saying that!!!!!! But I am saying that certain periods and activities of motherhood make us more vulnerable, and IF there ARE issues that are not as they should be, that vulnerability sometimes is taken advantage of by perpetrators.

 

I do not believe that homeschooling puts children at greater risk of abuse, but I do believe it puts MOMS at greater risk of abuse. I don't believe that schools protect children. I don't believe social services protect children except in rare cases. I do believe that being in the workforce DOES protect women, though, a LOT.

 

Maybe I should not have brought this up. I'm just really curious what topics the book covers, and what the worldview is.

 

 

False premise, false conclusions. Absurd.

[Reya]

What about all those women "sacrificing their independent selves" by holding down a 9-5 job?

[CyndiLJ]

I worked full-time from the time I was 16 until our first son was adopted 12 years ago, then I worked part-time up until 4 years ago when we started to homeschool. While I am definitely NOT your typical Molly Homemaker (and I do not say that with a snarky tone unless it is directed at myself, because I wish I WAS more like that in a lot of ways!), my heart has always been called toward home from the day we became parents. Due to never really knowing what I wanted to be until much later in my maturity, I never pursued college due to the expense. I knew I would just be spinning my wheels and incurring debt without a plan, which seemed pointless. So, truth is, I never had anything close to what I would call a career...I had a job. That was it. And I was as much a slave to that as anyone would say I am a slave to homeschooling. The difference is, homeschooling is probably the first thing I have done in my adult life that was along the lines of a career choice that I actually wanted to do!!! This is my chosen profession for this time of my life! Every other position I held was also my choice, but it was always about a paycheck attached, it was never something where I said to myself, "Hey, I really want to sell insurance! Let me go pursue that." or "Yes, I have decided I want to be a Customer Service Manager! That's perfect for me!". However, I really did see a need in my kids for home education, and as I thought about it I realized it was something I really and truly wanted to do, and I do not for a moment regret it. I think, in homeschooling, I have found something I really deeply enjoy doing, and our kids far prefer it to public education.

 

Does it put me in a vulnerable position, as one poster suggests? Yes, I guess from one perspective it certainly does. I have no work history and hopefully won't for at least 10 years of my life if we homeschool all the way through and into college, as we intend. I have no current income that is earned by me, so of course I personally have nothing saved.

 

But I have an extremely hard time seeing that electing to be a homeschooling mom puts me in jeopardy as far as physical harm does, any more than being a working mom does. That simply does not compute. I am vulnerable to physical abuse as a woman if I make a poor choice in a mate, if I allow abuse, and if I have low self esteem. Considering I do not fall in any lf those categories, my risk is minimal. Truth is, my hubby knows that if he ever laid a hand on me, he'd wake up to a frying pan having dented his head!!! Hahaha!

 

I jest, I don't have that kind of marriage. Instead, I have the kind of marriage where my husband makes every effort to make certain I can be home to do what I love to do, and what we have together deemed is best for our kids. Truth is, I guess Motherhood is my selected profession, and homeschooling allows me the opportunity to be fully involved in my chosen career path. Considering the majority of our kids lost out on their younger childhoods due to institutionalization, I have already lost the chance to mother them through almost half their childhoods...and I am incredibly grateful to not lose a minute more to another institution.

 

Something that might not always be addressed is, what does a homeschooling Dad lose out on?? In our case, it is a big financial sacrifice and huge commitment for us to homeschool, which places a big burden on my husband financially. He also loses out on my companionship during many evening hours as I plan, grade, research, etc.

 

Cindy

[snowbeltmom]

I hope the woman who wrote the book actually homeschools.

 

Not only does she not homeschool, she isn't a parent either. I'll be skipping this one. Here is a quote from her introduction:

 

"To study the workload and stigma of homeschooling, I needed to have extended conversations with homeschoolers themselves. "

In March 2001, with the intent of learning more about homeschooling from the people who do it, I located Cedar County’s primary organization, which I call the Parents’ Association for Teaching at Home, or PATH, a homeschooling support group with more than 600 member families. Based on this number, PATH claimed that Cedar County had the highest homeschooling rate in the nation, and though I was never able to confirm that statistic, the number does suggest that our rate was at least twice the national average.

7 PATH’s meetings, held one night a month in a public school gymnasium, were open to the public, so I began attending even though I was not a homeschooler, nor even a parent. "

[Crimson Wife]

She wasn't a parent then, but her faculty bio page at the university is a cropped picture of her next to a young child and references her kids.

[Hunter]

It doesn't sound too promising. I don't think I will even ask the library to purchase the book. I hate to contribute in putting something shoddy on the shelves that someone else might quote in their research. I'm curious, but plan to pass, unless someone else puts it on the shelf. Interlibrary loan right now isn't worth the trouble at my library right now, for that book.

 

There is a book at my library on conservative Christian homeschooling that I think is so biased and irresponsibly written. I don't remember the name, but I think it's horrible. I also think there are issues within the conservative movement that are worth discussing, but the author wasn't capable of even knowing what they are, never mind discussing them responsible and helpfully.

[LibraryLover]

I wonder if the author stalked these boards all those years?

 

 

I've always said there are a few PhD thesis papers within these boards. :)

[serendipitous journey]

Who are these HS moms who "sacrifice their independent selves for many years"? Maybe it's a sign of being a lousy HSer, mom, and wife, but I feel plenty independent. My kids get dragged to all kinds of things because I want to go.

 

Here. :) I had no idea what homeschooling a child as intense, sensitive, and easily over-whelmed/over-stimulated as Button would be. I'd have done it anyhow, in a heartbeat; but my independent self is definitely back-burnered. In my Original Incarnation, I make way too many inflammatory comments & require way too much time for thinking and reading.

 

I don't think moms _should_ feel that way, though. I sometimes think it is a bad sign that the word "sacrifice" bubbles up in my head so often when I think about my lifestyle -- even though I feel profoundly grateful to to what I am doing!

[serendipitous journey]

 

Yeah that too. I feel like I would have far less time to do stuff I wanna do if I weren't homeschooling and at home.

 

That is true here too, even though my "independent self" is backburnered for sure ... if I weren't at home with the children, I'd be missing out on being with them which is precious to me.

 

Also I imagine that when the tot's older there will be more time for gardening, cooking, reading DH's papers (he's a scientist), and for having actual thoughts -- with the children now, it feels like there's (DH found this in a cartoon lately, it's apt) a bowling ball running through my brain more or less constantly.