It is very plain that Western culture suffers some serious wounds. In my undergraduate studies, I became much more attuned to the specific nature of our societal dysfunction. I studied African culture heavily in my anthropology program, and I began to see that on a psychological level the advantages of living in a collective society often outweigh the disadvantages faced by many developing nations. While those living in the United States have had the benefit of relative stability and material wealth, we also have the detriment of the neglected spirit. While our society suggests that we should succeed independently of others, the educational system is designed much like a factory for the mass output of identical, substandard products. Coupled with this very basic problem is an outpouring of violence both real and simulated. We have time for continuous financial and social advancement, but we do not make time for our children and ourselves as individuals, as human beings. As a result, we have an ever-expanding generation of youth with little respect for themselves or anyone else and futures that are bleak if not damned. I see Merge as a program that seeks to aid in the cure for our cultural cancer.
Merge strives to educate children through self-expression. This model of encouraging individual reflection and relationship in community is much better suited toward individual health and awareness as well as the abstract, idea-based nature of our post-industrial society. Not only does one-on-one mentoring allow students to receive attention geared toward their personal talents and interests, active participation by the teacher ensures that the student and mentor experience their art together. The difference between “lecturing to” and “doing with” is so vast that it is hard to understand why this approach is not currently the standard for American education. Not only does this style build a real, lasting relationship between student and teacher, but it also develops a level of confidence that students do not achieve when they are asked to study on their own, perform, and be judged by their superior. Merge’s methods give students the room they need to grow as well as the emotional support that they may not receive outside the program.
