Erica Burman Flashcards
(13 cards)
What are burman’s 5 arguments?
measurement, coming for mothers, normal vs abnormal, control, behind the curtain
what does argument 1 critique
parents and children are data points, not actual people (e.g. your baby didn’t walk at 12 months, you’re behind), dehumanising
what is a real world example of argument 1
ECE centres expected to assess kids using checklists
if your child speaks te reo or another home language, they’re behind
te whariki says learning is holistic or culturally grounded but some want to reduce it to tick-box testing like NCEA for toddlers
what does argument 2 critique
judging parenting techniques
being a good mum means following the rules otherwise you’re inadequate
those left out are usually single mums, working-class families, culturally diverse parents
real world example: argument 2
Mostly targets Māori and Pasifika:
Oranga Tamariki takes babies from young Māori mums with little support or context.
They justify it by saying “child’s developmental needs aren’t met.”
DP says: If you don’t parent our way, you’re not a good mum.
what does argument 3 critique
D.P. pretends it’s a hard science that knows what’s biologically “normal”.
actually creating a line between normal and abnormal kids
white, western academics usually decide what’s normal
real world example: argument 3
A rise in ADHD and Autism diagnoses, espicaly in boys who can’t sit still in class
in an NZ school, if a child isn’t acting like a quiet little sponge ready to absorb everything, then the system deems them abnormal
the class might not fit the child instead of the other way around
D.P says it’s not typical development, next thing, the child is taken out of the class and placed into a special programme
what does argument 4 critique
DP + Government:
Fear losing control —
DP hides behind “science” to avoid uncertainty.
They prefer neat stages and labels,
but kids are messy, emotional, and unpredictable.
real world example: argument 4
When whānau choose non-traditional ways (e.g. tikanga Māori, homeschooling), the system gets nervous —
“How will they meet goals?”
If it can’t be measured, it’s not trusted.
what does argument 5 critique
who is funding these studies?
what is their agenda?
Developmental Psychology (DP):
Sits above society, ignoring culture and politics —
Still shapes schools, parenting, and policy,
without checking its own bias.
real world example: argument 5
“evidence-based” parenting programmes are being pushed in NZ especially to lower income or migrant families
these programmes often come from overseas from people who know nothing about maori or pasifika worldviews
the funding comes from government agencies trying to fix people not empower them
D.P pretends it’s neutral, but it is actually being sued to shape policy and control behaviour, without seeing who it benefits.
moral of erica burman
D.P. isn’t evil, but has it’s baggage
burman is pulling back the curtain with all the receipts
QUOTE:
“developmental psychology often tells us more about the society producing the theory than about the children it claims to describe.”
- (E. Burman, Deconstructing Developmental Psychology, 1994)
