Black pedagogy is the term used by educationalists and psychologists to express the authoritarian way of raising children from the 19th century to the 20th century and its consequences. It is a concept, a way of raising children, based on actions and forms of communication with a manipulative and often violent nature. Hitting was considered normal. A child had no say, its will had to be broken.
Historical background
In the 18th century it was fully convinced that there was nothing good in the child, he was born sinful and had to be trained to leave evil and do good. A quote from 1748 by J. Sultzer: In the first years of life a lot of coercion and physical punishment is needed. Fortunately, children forget everything that happened in the first years of life. As long as they remember what they are not allowed to do. Around the year 2000, hitting children was banned in several European countries.
Children’s books and fairy tales
In many older children’s books, the child is described as adults in a nutshell, who usually choose the wrong thing and often have to be pushed in the right direction with a firm hand. In some fairy tales even with fatal consequences. Examples can be found in the classics by the Brothers Grimm: The Stubborn Child. And the famous German children’s book by Heinrich Hofmann: Struwwelpeter. This book consists of ten stories for children, from which they will learn in an exaggerated way the disastrous consequences of bad behavior and disobedience.
Psychological background
It is important to see that this method of parenting is very manipulative and abusive. The personal and emotional aspects of the child are not important here and are subordinated to the will of the educator. So strong negative emotions will arise, such as anger and hatred, because the child cannot compete with the adult. The psychotherapist Alice Miller has done a lot of research into the consequences of upbringing in childhood. She also examined her own childhood, in order to better assess how her clients suffered. This authoritarian and manipulative way of raising children, in which they think they can beat the bad out of the child, is a problem that continues from generation to generation. The French philosopher Michel Foucault speaks several times in his books about the adoption of norms as the training of the people.
Discussion and criticism
Most ideas of black pedagogy are largely controversial, especially the silencing and abuse of children. In many countries hitting children is prohibited, but there is also emotional, psychological and spiritual abuse. Often not really visible to bystanders. Most discussions about authoritarian education end in the question of whether one should not also give a pedagogical blow. For the psychotherapist Alice Miller, any form of manipulation, coercion and physical violence can be classified as black pedagogy. It deeply humiliates a child, not just a slap, but also the fact that it is unimportant that a child has its own will and emotions. And that this must be taken into account.