Criticism
In its most extreme form, the target of the advocates of addressing adultism is 'the more or less conscious, uncontrolled, and covert exercise of power over the child by the adult...this wielding of power by adults' per se. Such an attack on any adult power may be fuelled by what has been called 'the homunculus idea about children...to many grown-ups a child is a Small Adult. They do not understand that a child carries different kinds of problems than an adult does'.
In its milder form, 'adultism is about the misuse of power and does not refer to the normal responsibilities of adults in relation to children'. Therefore 'addressing adultism is not about reversing the power structure... completely eradicating it': rather, 'shedding adultism involves a negotiation of decisions'.
Read more about this topic: Adultism
Famous quotes containing the word criticism:
“Of all the cants which are canted in this canting world—though the cant of hypocrites may be the worst—the cant of criticism is the most tormenting!”
—Laurence Sterne (1713–1768)
“The aim of all commentary on art now should be to make works of art—and, by analogy, our own experience—more, rather than less, real to us. The function of criticism should be to show how it is what it is, even that it is what it is, rather than to show what it means.”
—Susan Sontag (b. 1933)
“Parents sometimes feel that if they don’t criticize their child, their child will never learn. Criticism doesn’t make people want to change; it makes them defensive.”
—Laurence Steinberg (20th century)