Demonizing "tattletales" is awfully convenient for those in power

[smurasaki]

While pulling holds at the library this week, I came across a book intended to teach kids not to be tattletales.  I can't find the specific one to link to because there are rather a lot of such books and if I spend very much time on the search, I start wanting to build a bonfire.  But the specific title really doesn't matter, it's the concept of

Comments

[baeraad]

I agree, that's a horrible moral to teach children. What I don't understand is why grownups would want to teach it in the first place, since they are less likely to be tattled on by children than be tattled to. Do they just not want to be bothered by hearing about what a shitty time their kids are having? :P

[smurasaki]

Not wanting to be bothered is part of it, I think. Also, they were all taught the same message, so they instinctively see the teller as bad, too. I'd really love to know exactly when this message appeared - that might tell us a lot about _why_ it appeared and who benefited.

[sunlit_music]

Hi. :) I'm here via Daniel's (baeraad's) lj. You mentioned that you disapprove of teaching people that reporting bullying/misconduct/crime is immoral behaviour, and I agree. That is a horrible moral to teach children

[smurasaki]

I can certainly understand the stigma in countries where snitches supported a corrupt and oppressive regime. In the United States, at least, I'm rather at a loss as to where it comes from. The only vaguely similar situation might by the rise of the labor movement here, but I don't know if that feeds into it at all. (Certainly it's been long enough that labor unions are now actively demonized and most people have no idea what a huge difference they made for workers rights and just work life in general.)

Whatever the cause, it's really unfortunate it's so widespread. :\ I guess we just all push back as much as we can in our various countries and hope things change for the better.