Teaching Responsibility or Indoctrination of Children?

[Black Hornet]

Yes Klingons would have a different perspective on things. My human perspective is it isn't ok to project one's value's onto other people's children. But that is a human topic.

[Kehlan]

I can't speak for other countries but maybe if a few more people in the UK did project their values onto the children, whether their own, or in the case of people like teachers, other peoples kids, then we wouldnt have such a massive problem with juvenile crime and lack of respect.

But thats going way off topic so enough said, lol

[Black Hornet]

Tis the parents who create & pay for the children, therefore tis their sole responsibility & right as regards morals etc. When the state or Fed Government-s force social engineering onto private families, ( be they Left or Right), Big Brother has won & Freedom has died.

[qoSagh]

Tis the parents who create & pay for the children, therefore tis their sole responsibility & right as regards morals etc. When the state or Fed Government-s force social engineering onto private families, ( be they Left or Right), Big Brother has won & Freedom has died.

This is not a problem in the Klingon Empire, despite being a vaguely soviet state. This is because of the great value placed on personal honor and responsibility in Klingon culture. This is actually what brings us back around to the procreation issue, that honor code reminds every citizen that it is their job to keep the empire supplied with more citizens. The state does not have to enforce this because it is understood by all. The good of the empire transcends any particular government or dynasty.

[Klythe]

   Kahlen is right, this is a new topic, and I think it is a good one.

   Where is the line for raising children to uphold the shared values of a culture?

   Who would/should be primarily and who should be secondarily ( tertiarily, etc) responsible to ensure Klingon children are raised to be honorable in their life's pursuits?

   How much control would Klingon parents exert on their children (of any age), and how much freedom of individuality would be tolerated?

   These answers have changed radically for Western Terran Civilization in the last 50 years.  Have these answers changed for Klingons?  Are similar changes an inevitable sign of cultural 'advancement', part of a cultural cycle or perhaps both?

[Kehlan]

I imagine the Klingon empire to be quite strict in its treatment of children.  When Worf has problems with alexander, his answer was initially to send him to a good klingon school to sort him out.  We also see brief snippets of what its like in a Klingon school in the novel Kahless.  Decandido's 'burning house' also showed how harshly children could be treated and there was little recourse for the child punished unfairly.

Here in the Uk, things have gone into meltdown regarding children in the last few years.  We are no longer allowed to smack children (any blow which leaves a slight red mark for more than a few seconds, is deemed too violent).  Parents cannot discipline their children for fear of social workers.  Teachers have no control over their students.  A crying toddler in the street, seperated from his mother, will be left to cry.. because if you go to help, you may be accused of being a paedophile and trying to abduct the child... competitive sports are almost banned because its not good for children to lose.  children have no freedom, don't know how to climb trees, are not allowed to play conkers because they might get hurt.  And then we wonder why we have a problem with obese, undisciplined children who grow up to have no respect for themselves or for anyone else.  Yes, its that bad.

Not that that is completely relevent to Klingons, it's just the background to my own thoughts and opinions on the subject.  I can't see it EVER getting like that on the Klingon homeworld.  Klingons know life is harsh.  they are a warrior culture and even those who dont become soldiers are still warriors, just ones who fight in a different way for the good of the empire.  I think they would bring their children up accordingly.

We are told that a Klingon child is a man the day he can hold a weapon.  That implies that a Klingon child is expected to behave with honour and responsibility from a fairly young age.

Who's responsibility is it? Well, firstly the parents and family... secondly the teachers... their job is to teach, and education is more than just learning facts and figures... and thirdly, the community.  In the end, if a parent is failing in their duty for whatever reason, it is the responsibility of the wider community to step in and help put things right. 

[qoSagh]

I would also add that the state has little if anything to do with this. In TFR we saw that orphans left without a house are pretty much on their own. In the IKS Gorkon books with Leader Wol we see that the military is almost their only option, and the enlisted ranks at that. Interestingly enough we don;t really hear much about such children turning to a life of crime, as we do in say Oliver Twist. This tells me that children are taught from a very young age about honor and truth. By the time they are orphaned, those concepts are already anathema.