Like it's their job

While orienting coworkers to our evening check-in practices last night, I said something along the lines of "If the kids push boundaries with you around bedtime, don't take it personally. Teenagers push boundaries like it's their job."

Today I've been thinking, what if pushing boundaries is actually their job, not just something they do reliably and with gusto? In the same way that it's a baby's "job" to play - playing is the best thing they can do for their relationship with the world at that stage.

This idea is patronizing because it's sort of about development, and because it's harder to determine the "jobs" of adults of all ages (we get mired in all kinds of seemingly important things).

But still, I think the push back that often comes from teenagers is important. In my experience, they are keenly aware of power, of connection and division, and of "the rules." They are actively transforming and actively watching their peers transform. They see society quite clearly, but often they haven't yet signed on or resigned to how things "are supposed to be."

If nothing else, working with teens keeps me honest and keeps me on my toes.

Peace Mix Fall 2010

The first semester I taught Peace Studies, I had the idea of making a CD of music to accompany class readings. I wanted it to speak to an around issues of power, oppression and liberation that are the undercurrent of my class, rather than being a compilation of explicit "peace songs." And I wanted it to be relevant to my high school aged students.

Initial track lists felt overly folky and were drawn from my fairly limited music library, so I didn't assign the mix last year. But appeals via Facebook inspired dozens of suggestions from friends and colleagues, enough even to make a Peace Mix five times over.

After listening and reading lyrics, I selected the tracks below. I was hampered by the 80 minute maximum of most CD-Rs, and had to cut some songs at the last minute because the CD was too long. Other songs, like Live's "Shades of Grey" were harder to come by, and so aren't on this iteration of the mix.

I made a list of all the songs and artists that were suggested; I have some inkling this might be a bigger project than I envisioned.

The track order roughly follows the subject progression of my class: violence and nonviolence; social movements, structural violence, solidarity and service; gender power; social class; race and racism:

1. Utah Phillips & Ani Difranco – Anarchy

2. Ani DiFranco – Fuel

3. Brother Ali – Uncle Sam Goddamn*

4. Bob Marley – War

5. Dispatch – The General *

6. Gil Scott-Herndon – The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

7. Against Me! – White People for Peace

8. Flobots – Fight with Tools *

9. Old Crow Medicine Show – I Hear Them All

10. The Coup – Heven Tonite

11. Hedwig and the Angry Inch – Origin of Love

12. Spoonboy – Fireball or “What I learned from TV” *

13. Ani Difranco – 32 Flavors

14. Traci Chapman - Mountains o’Things

15. John Lennon – Working Class Hero

16. Arrested Development – Mr. Wendal

17. 2 Pac - Changes *

18. KRS One – Woke Up

19. Utah Phillips – Natural Resources

Conscience compels me to encourage you to procure this music via legal means. And my inner school marm wants you to know that some tracks contain "adult language" even though I tried to keep it to a minimum. Songs with an * were suggested by my former students. Oh, and those Utah lyrics? Hard to find.

Sincere thanks to everyone who helped make this possible. (And thanks to Oliver Danni for stringing them all together in a YouTube playlist here).