Sigh... I'm an almost unschooler, so feel free to take this witha grain of salt since you know where it is coming from. Thomas Szasz wrote this brilliant article called "The Sane Slave." Apparently, psychiatrists in the 1850's noticed a clinical syndrome among slaves that produced certain symptoms. The slaves afflicted with this pathology were the ones most likely to run away since their mental illness made it difficult for them to adjust appropriately to being slaves. Szasz went on to liken Runaway Slave Syndrome to depression. He noted that when placed in cubicles to perform meaningless work for many hours per day in potentially demeaning circumstances, people exhibit symptoms, which are then diagnosed as depression, for which they are given a pill.
I'll extend the argument. When bright, active, curious, kinesthetic, creative boys are placed in a classroom and expected to sit still for hours at a time and do boring work, the symptoms that they exhibit are clearly part of their pathology, right? (Sarcasm alert.)
