When Knowledge Becomes Subversive

One line in The Drop by Ozy newsletter is striking, especially given that it was written in 2022:

While many in the U.S. seek to limit kids’ access to books tackling sexuality, some young people elsewhere in the world are gaining access to such materials for the very first time — and relishing the freedom.

The article focuses on the contrast between contemporary book-banning in the USA and two small but mighty libraries in Nepal. Strange, ironic even, that where we have an abundance of not always accurate information available at our fingertips, the social forces move in a regressive direction. Yet, where information of any sort is scarce, as in Nepal, more progressive forces seem to be emergent.

Back in 1970, Neil Postman and Charles Weingartner wrote a book entitled Teaching as a Subversive Activity. Looks like it still is in 2022.