The relevance of Buddhism to child-development theory

Jeffrey Wilson

This thesis is about the effects of disciplinary thought on the developing subjectivity of children. It suggests that the disciplinary methodologies employed since the Western 'Enlightenment' are insufficient in themselves to fully develop children's potentialities and that other, less differentiating, less individualising and more nuanced methodologies should be established in order to complement the traditional disciplinary construction of the child's ego. The arbitrary parameters that are drawn by socio-cultural expectations around the developing subjectivity of the child can be counter-productive to the child's creativity and social interactivity. The thesis takes as its point of departure the research of Edward Crangle of the University of Sydney, which relates 'cognitive styles' theory to the field of studies in religion (particularly Buddhism) and which finds research in this field to be predetermined by researchers' own preferred styles of knowing and learning. Researchers who have 'analytic' or highly differentiated cognitive styles tend to view the relationship between practitioners and their deity in dualistic terms. For example, in Christianity, the deity is seen as separate from the practitioner and the autonomy of the ethical subject is emphasised. In Mahayana Buddhism, by contrast, the notion of deity is expressed as a spiritual collectivity and the undifferentiated inter-dependence of practitioners is emphasised. The latter tendency is characterised by Crangle as a 'global' cognitive style, a non-dualist approach that takes the highly differentiated and defensive ego to be a hindrance to spiritual development. It is suggested here that a person can accommodate and develop both styles and that an amalgamation of disciplined thought and inner psychic experience can lead to the development of insight and wisdom. I take these global and analytic styles to be fundamental cognitive modalities and argue that they predetermine approaches to child development theory. I further argue that Western theories take an almost exclusively 'analytic' approach to the material and that the global cognitive modality is excluded and ignored. The analytic style or modality is associated with the construction and maintenance of strong ego boundaries, with a high level of policing of the arbitrary boundaries that separate self from non-self - that protect the corps propre from social pollution - and that sharply define the distinctions between self and other. The global modality is characterised by a loosening of ego boundaries that facilitates the development of emotional interactivity, sympathy, compassion and promotes a sense of collectivity rather than autonomy. Ultimately, however, the apparent opposition between the two styles and modalities can be transcended - and the true potential of the child actualised - through an ability to partake of both. The implications of this cognitive expansion to child-development theory and practice include a need for the establishment of relationships between adults and children based on mutual respect rather than on expressions of unilateral respect by the child toward the adult. In educational terms it implies the facilitation of learning skills, self-discipline and the development of the particular talents of the child rather than pedagogical and externally-imposed disciplinary thought and behaviour.

The relevance of Buddhism to child-development theory

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The relevance of Buddhism to child-development theory

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