Lab chemists: Are they antisocial or unnecessary?

Question

Someone has said that not all home-schoolers grow up to be antisocial lab chemists.

I think that this is a funny statement. Some of our friends are lab-chemists and they are not anti-social. And even if they were I would say that it would be their own choice --- so what? Is someone sad that they don't have the company of the lab chemist?
Have you thought about the great strides in medicine that have been made in our world because of lab chemists? I would rather have 100 antisocial lab chemists working away at something that is interesting to them than to have a thousand students that may only be happy when partying.

My children have all been home-schooled. None are lab-chemists but they all know how to study and how to work and how to socialize ---------- funny thought tho': It doesn't take a group education to learn how to socialize. It comes natural from the day they are born.

The question is semi-tongue-in-cheek for those that know what that means.

Thank you for your hopes for my family --- it is appreciated. Think about this for a moment: Ten students over the course of three years is a very small "test group" when compared to the hundreds of thousands of home-educated children in this world. The variables are many -- age, location, temperament, etc. etc. etc. Take the challenge and find out more about current day home-schoolers ---- visit a conference, etc. etc. etc......

Answer 1

You've brought up something I've been meaning to bring up for weeks.

There is a frequent attitude in the anti-homeschooling 'circle' that hints at everybody should be like everybody else. They should dress alike, they should listen to the same music, they should have exactly the same education, they should all have the same experiences, they should have the same number of friends, everybody should have the same level of sociability... This is actually promoted in the school system with the whole grading system and trying to have everybody in the same grade level achieve the same minimal standard. It is really a perfectionist view of how people 'should be'.

It's also a complete negation of who we are as human beings, individuals through and through. While there are certain common tendencies, there is a lot of variation. Obviously, or we'd all be content with just one particular model of government-run schools for the education of our children. :)

I would recommend to people who are so focused about how different homeschoolers (supposedly) are that you read "The Giver" by Lois Lowry. That's where a focus on having everybody be the same can lead.

So, yes, lab chemists are necessary. They may or may not be antisocial. If people are going to accept that we are all individuals and that there is no one right model for a human being in terms of sociability, education, skills, etc., then they need to accept the antisocial lab chemist as much as they need to accept whoever falls on the other end of the spectrum (the highly social politician?) and everyone else in between. Really, they need to accept that they aren't perfect, that nobody's perfect and that there is no one right way for everybody to be.

If all homeschoolers turn out to be antisocial and have to take on lab work, then so be it. I'm sure the world could use more lab workers. ;)

Answer 2

Are you asking 'Are lab chemists necessary?' or are you asking 'are social skills necessary?' ?
Of the course the answer is yes to both

I hope you have great children and they become very successful
I fear the home schooled students don't develop the social skills to pick their own friends, say no to drugs, and realize when they are been 'conned'.
My experience with home schooled kids is teaching a few in DAPCEP (its sort of like First Lego League) the Home schooled kids didn't identify with their team, were very critical of their teams and themselves, needed too much direction, and did poorly on opened ended assignments.
Not that other kids did not have these problems also, but it struck me as odd that ALL the home schooled kids had this probelm with being on a team and producing in an open sitiuation
the open ended situation was: now that you know what these LEGO robots can do, have them perform a few complicated tasks (sort change, pick up and dump garbage), or many simple tasks, have the robot follow a black line on the floor, have the robot pull a heavy weight, etc. ) This was a Saturday morning class, with no 'grade' so I cannot say if this was a calculated reaction or not.
In 3 years with about 10 home schooled kids, I noticed these SAME traits EVERYTIME! Hmmm?

Answer 3

Jeepers another stereotype.. One I never heard before..

But at any rate.. I know some home schooled people who are very social and can talk your ear off!

That said lab chemists are necessary but that doesn't mean they are antisocial! Without lab chemists we wouldn't have plastics, vaccines, medication and all kinds of things we have come to take for granted!