Jivan Katayan
In doing some research on cooperation, I came across a very interesting book by Alfie Kohn entitled No Contest and some interesting current articles.
Kohn’s work gives us a very different picture of human evolution than usual treatises that focus on conflict and competition.
“NO CONTEST, which has been stirring up controversy since its publication in 1986, stands as the definitive critique of competition. Drawing from hundreds of studies, Alfie Kohn eloquently argues that our struggle to defeat each other—at work, at school, at play, and at home—turns all of us into losers.Contrary to the myths with which we have been raised, Kohn shows that competition is not an inevitable part of “human nature.” It does not motivate us to do our best (in fact, the reason our workplaces and schools are in trouble is that they value competitiveness instead of excellence.) Rather than building character, competition sabotages self-esteem and ruins relationships. It even warps recreation by turning the playing field into a battlefield.
NO CONTEST makes a powerful case that “healthy competition” is a contradiction in terms. Because any win/lose arrangement is undesirable, we will have to restructure our institutions for the benefit of ourselves, our children, and our society. For this [1992] revised edition, Kohn adds a comprehensive account of how students can learn more effectively by working cooperatively in the classroom instead of struggling to be Number One. He also offers a pointed and personal afterword, assessing shifts in American thinking on competition and describing reactions to his provocative message.”
Primate Research Says Competition Not Driving Force
Two American primatologists are challenging the current and dominant theory that competition is the driving force of social behavior in primates, both human and non-human.
In place of the “aggression-competition-reconciliation model” of primate sociality, the researchers offer a new theory that recognizes cooperation and affiliation as the species’ primary social behaviors.
Their data also indicate that rates of aggression are “extremely low, normally less than 1 percent of the activity budget.” “Affiliative” behaviors, on the other hand, are 10 to 20 times more common.
Humans may not be as aggressive and competitive as thought
See the article by education writer Alfie Kohn “Teaching About September 11th” which was rejected by several leading education publications that have often published his writings. No one challenged the accuracy of anything in the piece, according to Kohn. Rather, it was argued that there are times when it’s not appropriate to say things even if they are true. Kohn was also disinvited as keynote speaker for the March meeting of the California League of Middle Schools (CLMS) conference. Apparently, someone on the CLMS board saw a copy of this essay (which had appeared only on Kohn’s website) and convinced the executive director to break the contract with Kohn, even though his planned talk had nothing to do with Sept. 11.
The article end with this paragraph: “Ultimately, though, the standard by which to measure our schools is the extent to which the next generation comes to understand – and fully embrace – this simple truth: The life of someone who lives in Kabul or Baghdad is worth no less than the life of someone in New York or from our neighborhood”