Mind fields : adolescent consciousness in a culture of distraction

252 Pages·2001·1.158 MB·English

by  Cottle, Thomas J.

Mind Fields
AC Adolescent
Cultures,
School
SS
& Society
Joseph L. DeVitis & Linda Irwin-DeVitis
General Editors
Vol. 16
PETER LANG
New York (cid:121) Washington, D.C./Baltimore (cid:121) Bern
Frankfurt am Main (cid:121) Berlin (cid:121) Brussels (cid:121) Vienna (cid:121) Oxford
Thomas J. Cottle
Mind Fields
Adolescent Consciousness
in a Culture of Distraction
PETER LANG
New York (cid:121) Washington, D.C./Baltimore (cid:121) Bern
Frankfurt am Main (cid:121) Berlin (cid:121) Brussels (cid:121) Vienna (cid:121) Oxford
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Cottle, Thomas J.
Mind fields: adolescent consciousness
in a culture of distraction / Thomas J. Cottle.
p. cm. — (Adolescent cultures, school & society; vol. 16)
Includes bibliographical references.
1. Adolescent psychology. I. Title. II. Series.
BF724 .C635 155.5—dc21 00-062953
ISBN 0-8204-4922-9
ISSN 1091-1464
Die Deutsche Bibliothek-CIP-Einheitsaufnahme
Cottle, Thomas J.:
Mind fields: adolescent consciousness
in a culture of distraction / Thomas J. Cottle.
−New York; Washington, D.C./Baltimore; Bern;
Frankfurt am Main; Berlin; Brussels; Vienna; Oxford: Lang.
(Adolescent cultures, school, and society; Vol. 16)
ISBN 0-8204-4922-9
Cover design by Dutton & Sherman Design
The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability
of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity
of the Council of Library Resources.
© 2001, 2003, 2005 Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., New York
All rights reserved.
Reprint or reproduction, even partially, in all forms such as microfilm,
xerography, microfiche, microcard, and offset strictly prohibited.
Printed in the United States of America
For Kay Mikkelsen Cottle
Grant me intention, purpose, and design—That’s near
enough for me to the Divine.
Robert Frost, “Accidentally on Purpose”
Rest not till you rivet and publish yourself of your own Personality.
Walt Whitman, “To a Pupil”
We are far more out of touch with even the nearest approaches of the
infinite reaches of inner space than we now are with the reaches of outer
space. We respect the voyager, the explorer, the climber, the space man.
It makes far more sense to me as a valid project—indeed, as a desperately
and urgently required project for our time—to explore the inner space and
time of consciousness.
R. D. Laing, The Politics of Experience

Contents
Acknowledgments ix
PART I THE FIELDS OF DISTRACTION 1
Chapter 1 The Language of Distraction 3
Chapter 2 The Noise of Distraction 27
PART II THE FIELDS OF ADOLESCENCE 51
Chapter 3 The Construction of Independence and Intimacy 53
Chapter 4 The Construction of Recognition and Attachment 81
PART III THE FIELDS OF THOUGHT 109
Chapter 5 Narratives and Reflections 111
Chapter 6 Screen Speak, Screen Deep 135
PART IV THE FIELDS OF THE INNER WORLD 157
Chapter 7 The Exploration of Self 159
Chapter 8 The Prize of Self-Reflection 185
References 219

Acknowledgments
As everyone knows, writing is a solitary activity, but no book gets pub-
lished without the help and encouragement of many people. This project
began with letters and conversations with a wonderful new friend, Pro-
fessor Joseph DeVitis, who has been a perfectly exemplary editor. Then
there is the faculty in the School of Education at Boston University, nota-
bly my colleagues in the Special Education Department, Arthur Beane,
who has been particularly helpful, Leroy Clinton, Donna Lehr, Rose Ray,
Kathleen Vaughan, Sandra DiIeso, and above all Gerald Fain. In addition,
Edwin J. Delattre, Stephen Tigner, Allan Gaynor, Roselmina Indrisano,
Victor Kestenbaum, Mary Shann, and David Steiner have all been exem-
plary colleagues and teachers. Special thanks must go as well to Jim
Stone, Man Leung, Donald Palladino, Jr., and Lisa L. Paine, Chairman of
the Department of Maternal and Child Health at the Boston University
School of Public Health. A special thank you too, to the librarians at the
Brookline Library, Brookline, Massachusetts. Above all, I wish to thank
the students at Boston University whose writings and classroom discus-
sions have greatly informed this volume. It should not go unnoticed that
many of these people will be devoting their lives to the well being of
children and adolescents.
I am blessed with many friends who not only are willing to listen to my
book ideas, but on occasion read early drafts of manuscripts and offer
invaluable commentary and support. In this regard I wish to thank Sara
Lawrence Lightfoot, Robert Melson, Robert Coles, Gerald Platt, Barry
O’Connell, Jan Dizard, Joan and Robert Weiss, Judy and David Lahm,
Naomi Zigmond, Oliver Holmes, Brigitte Cazalis and Joseph Collins, Lane
Conn, Scott Horton, Dianna Townsend, Daniel Frank, Richard and Anne
Rosenfeld, Paul Strudler, Anne and Martin Peretz, and Patricia and Salva-
dor Minuchin.
XII Acknowledgments

At the press, Chris Myers has shown extraordinary forbearance guid-
ing me through the various steps of publication, and Phyllis Korper has
done a masterful editing job.
No one supports and encourages me as much as the members of our
family, Claudia and Tony, Jason and Sonya. I suspect too, that our grand-
children, Luke Thomas, Nicole Kate and Anna Carey, have also played a
part in the production of this book.
Finally, I have chosen to dedicate the book to my wife, Kay Mikkelsen
Cottle, extraordinary teacher, mother, partner and friend.
PART I

THE FIELDS OF DISTRACTION