Gary A. Olson's Ideological Review

I found that Olson's article served as a thorough literature review, providing a practical guide into "the tradition of ideological critique." However, the section which I found most fascinating concerns what he calls "perhaps the most original and substantive contribution to the intellectual work on ideological critique" (86); this is, of course, in reference to Lynn Worsham's theories concerning the role of emotion and "pedagogical violence" (87).  I find it particularly interesting that she is referring to all of pedagogy and not just what occurs in the classroom.  Thus, the pedagogical violence has invaded all aspects of society and does not exist solely within one sphere.  Likewise, it never occurred to me that even the way we feel emotions is dictated by the ideological duo of "family and the educational system, working in tandem," implying that, like Worsham's definition of pedagogy, she is describing an all-encompassing thing rather than something of limited reach (87). 

If this is an adequate representation of Worsham's work concerning pedagogical violence, then I am greatly impressed with her work and will definitely read "Going Postal: Pedagogic Violence and the Schooling of Emotion."  I feel like her work may greatly impact my thesis work--especially the idea that "pedagogy refers to the power to impose meanings that maintain and reinforce the reigning social, economic, and political arrangements as legitimate when in fact they are entirely arbitrary" (87).  I feel like this really describes the complicated situation in Cajun Louisiana where the Cajun population were taught not only to speak English, but also to feel strong emotions of shame and hate for their non-literate first language, Cajun French.