A few weeks ago one of my daughters-in-law was summoned to my grandson's school to discuss "a problem concerning your child."
-"Mrs. Canton, we are worried because your child [6 yrs.old] sits with his legs crossed over his knees rather than one leg over the other thigh." "Have you noticed some more 'strange' behaviours at home?"
My daughter-in-law, which is almost a urbanity freak explained to the teacher that it was not polite for anyone to sit showing the soles of their shoes to the public... The child was modeling after his father who always sat correctly -- at least in public.
The former had no importance at home, but I was left with a bit of concern as a psychologist- turned-grandfather, because I know that the process of "social classification" begins in school. And labelling does not start only by classmates but by teachers also.
I hope that the teacher ended learning a lesson in urbanity... but I have my doubts, because social stereotypes weigh very much and are difficult to change, sometimes within a generation.
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