We cannot ignore the society in which children/young people live now and in the future. They must be raised in such a way that they can function independently in this society. The next section is about this connection between education and society.
Society
Much has been written on this subject and people’s opinions vary widely. If we think back for a moment to the connection between philosophy and education, this is not so surprising. Adults take a stand regarding developments and phenomena that they encounter in society. They will also proclaim their views and opinions as educators and try to convey them as valuable. There are of course countless examples of this. We mention a few here:
Norms and normlessness
There are parents who notice increasing vandalism by young people and – more broadly – a lack of norms and rules in society. Therefore, in their upbringing they emphasize important social values that must be respected. When all kinds of rules are violated, they assert their authority and intervene.
Labor and work
In our society, manual and manual labor are valued differently, both in social (prestige) and material (payment) terms. Parents who consider this distinction normal often encourage young people in this direction of head work. Others do not accept these differences in appreciation. They strive for a society based on equality and will also emphasize the equality of manual and manual labor.
Discrimination
There are quite different reactions to a social phenomenon such as positive discrimination against women in work and employment. This also introduces different images regarding the role of women within society in education. The same of course applies to issues such as unemployment, paying taxes, drug use, sexual morality, etc.
There are many issues in society that educators view in different ways. Based on these different visions, different goals are also pursued. Preparation for functioning in society therefore does not proceed in the same way in different upbringing and educational situations.
However, there is also agreement on some points between large groups of educators/teachers. We all live in a society that can be characterized as dynamic, pluralistic and democratic. We will have to take these characteristics of society into account in our education.
Parenting in a dynamic society.
We live in a dynamic society. The question is how you can prepare children/young people for this through education. Just as in static societies, we can provide young people with the full range of knowledge and standards for future actions through education.
All kinds of knowledge are becoming less important due to developments in society , because new applications are emerging, for which new knowledge must be learned. We see this, for example, in the field of IT applications in business, or under the influence of the increasingly frequent use of plastics in the construction world.
Technology no longer stands still and people will have to continue to train if they want to continue to function properly. Moreover, people are expected to adopt an appreciative point of view in ever new circumstances. We see this, for example, in situations where new medical techniques can be applied. It is primarily up to society to determine whether it considers certain interventions in the human organism desirable. But then it is still up to the patient whether he/she wants a particular procedure.
In other words: society is changing so quickly under the influence of all kinds of developments that young people cannot be given everything for life in the future. In education and training we must therefore pay particular attention to teaching basic concepts and skills. But in addition, attitudes and skills must be learned that people need to at least survive in the ever-changing society.
This includes postural components such as:
- be open to new developments;
- be willing to keep up to date and learn;
- are prepared to determine their own position;
Skill components include:
- being able to structure and process information independently;
- being able to analyze and solve problems independently;
- being able to form and express one’s own opinion;
If such a two-sided objective is pursued within upbringing and education, namely basic knowledge and values on the one hand and the development of attitudes and skills on the other, then attention will have to be paid to both aspects.
Education in a pluralistic society.
We live in a society with many different groups, each with their own cultural background and way of life. In such a multi-cultural or pluriform society it is of the utmost importance that people – despite all differences – at least live together in a peaceful manner. It is clear that this is a minimum requirement, but even this is not met in many cases .
However, it is not just about knowledge and insight into the way of life of other people and in The goal will have to reach further. Ultimately, it will be about a tolerant and respectful attitude towards all kinds of different people and groups, regardless of culture, religion, nationality, etc., based on the realization that people
are not equal, but they are equal.