On time please

Assignment 1: Discussion Question: Obedience

By  Saturday, July 4, 2015 , respond to the discussion question. Submit your responses to the appropriate  Discussion Area. Use the same  Discussion Area  to comment on your classmates’ submissions by  Saturday, July 4, 2015 , and continue the discussion until  Wednesday, July 8, 2015   of the week.

Because I said so . . .

In our culture it is fairly normal to see a parent socialize their children to obey authority figures without question. We teach them that because they are a child if they question the authority figures in their life that they are being disrespectful and often punish them for this kind of questioning.

Now consider the outcome of Milgram’s research into obedience in which many participants followed the request of a perceived authority figure and administering shocks up to 450 volts to a person who simply got the answers wrong. Read the following article by Thomas Blass about Milgram and his research:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200203/the-man-who-shocked-the-world 

Additionally read the article at  http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=1297922  about the prank call at McDonalds that lead to the false imprisonment and sexual assault of a young employee all because the assistant manager blindly followed the instructions of a man on the phone.Discuss, in general, why children are socialized to obey authority figures.
Does the way we socialize our children set them on a possible path toward this kind of obedience?
What benefits come from our children blindly following the authority figures in their life?
What negative consequences can come from this kind of socialization?
Is there a better option in the way we socialize our children? If so, what would be a better strategy?
Should this strategy change as the child ages? If so, how would it be different for older children versus younger children?