WEEK 1: Introduction

• Gain an understanding through the definitions of

education, culture and society

• Gain an understanding of general topics within

education, culture and society

What do we mean by Education?

Education is the center of shaping the behavior of man. In the same manner, the

home and the school, play vital roles in the development of the child.

Cooperation or coordination of parents and teachers’ enhance behavior of

students. It tries to upgrade the quality of well being of the students. It tries to

upgrade the quality of well being of the student in terms of knowledge, attitude

and skills, habits and values while under the supervision of the school. The

school however, cannot realize the thrusts of education because of student’s

behavior towards their academic performance that stand that way. The

development of proper behavior of students in school is becoming a matter of

increasing concern.

There is the widespread of observation that students perform very poorly in

their school tasks. The researcher is aware that one of the causes of these poor

1
performances could be due to computer games or internet games, and unless the

factors affecting these behaviors are identified, analyzed, and given proper

measures, school would continue to produce half-baked or half cooked

graduates. The foregoing concepts serves as the rationale of this study since

now a days; it is a fact that students find difficulty in controlling playing on line

games than doing with their school work that often results to their failure in

academic achievement. Hence, the researcher was motivated to the study

current trend among pupils in studying their lessons, together with the factors

that affect such trends.

Learning enriches one’s life and can help one achieve whatever goals he has.

The more he knows, the more he does something worthwhile in his

life.Learning is both a natural and artificial experience. It is natural in as much

as the human being expresses the capacity to assimilate information and adapt

his or her behavior based on what is assimilated, and it is artificial inasmuch as

it is mandated by the state and administered in formal structures regulated by

law. The well-prepared educator is one who understands the social and

philosophical foundations of formal education, the role of the state in formal

education, pedagogical theory and practice, and the implications of current

policy and reforms.

2
Education serves as a way to bring about the desired and deserving change in

society, to develop a new generation of admirable individuals and thus cause the

growth of good people and efficient people. The fundamental purposes of

education are to gain knowledge to inculcate the forms of proper conduct and to

acquire practical competency. Therefore, the basic and universal aim of

Education is to relocate excellent methods into the youngsters in such a way

that they consciously adopt good habits and choices do away and reject the bad

ones. Hence, Education played a crucial role in focused efforts to build and

mold a nation, not only economically, but also culturally and psychologically

(Chua & Kuo, 1991).

Education for youths encourages the individuals to aware about civic, political

moral dimensions of citizenship in them. Education motivates the youths to

come ahead to perform for community. It instills in them a sensation that they

are part of the community and that it is their liability to generate it on the

righteous direction. In every state, the most important goal of education is

preparation of young people for their role as good citizens. The researcher

believes that, Information for citizenship provides adolescents with the

knowledge, abilities and knowing to play an effective part in public life.

Citizenship motivates them to take an interest in typical and controversial issues

and to get engage in discussion and debates. It means that the pupils must learn

3
about their rights, responsibilities, duties and freedom and about laws, justice

and they must know democracy. They must understand to take aspect in

decision-making and different types of activity because they have to play an

active role in their school life, neighbourhoods, areas and broader community as

dynamic and global people.

As a matter of fact, a critical aspect of education that is often overlooked or

inadequately addressed is the preparation of young school students for

citizenship. If kids become familiar to talk about their variations in a logical

way in the main years, they are more likely to agree to it as regular exercise in

their puberty. Students learn how to identify prejudice, assess discussion, think

about proof, look for substitute understanding, opinions and resources of proof

and above all to give explanations for the things they say and do, and to

anticipate explanations to be given by other (Huddleston, 2005).

To say Education is important is an understatement. Education is a weapon to

improve one’s life. It is probably the most important tool to change one’s life.

Education for a child begins at home. It is a lifelong process that ends with death.

Education certainly determines the quality of an individual’s life. Education

improves one’s knowledge, skills and develops the personality and attitude. Most

noteworthy, Education affects the chances of employment for people. A highly

educated individual is probably very likely to get a good job. In this essay on

4
importance of education, we will tell you about the value of education in life and

society.

First of all, Education teaches the ability to read and write. Reading and writing is

the first step in Education. Most information is done by writing. Hence, the lack

of writing skill means missing out on a lot of information. Consequently,

Education makes people literate. Above all, Education is extremely important for

employment. It certainly is a great opportunity to make a decent living. This is due

to the skills of a high paying job that Education provides. Uneducated people are

probably at a huge disadvantage when it comes to jobs. It seems like many poor

people improve their lives with the help of Education.

Better Communication is yet another role in Education. Education improves and

refines the speech of a person. Furthermore, individuals also improve other means

of communication with Education. Education makes an individual a better user of

technology. Education certainly provides the technical skills necessary for

using technology. Hence, without Education, it would probably be difficult to

handle modern machines. People become more mature with the help of

Education. Sophistication enters the life of educated people. Above all, Education

teaches the value of discipline to individuals. Educated people also realize the

value of time much more. To educated people, time is equal to money. First of all,

Education helps in spreading knowledge in society. This is perhaps the most

5
noteworthy aspect of Education. There is a quick propagation of knowledge in an

educated society. Furthermore, there is a transfer of knowledge from generation to

another by Education.

Education helps in the development and innovation of technology. Most

noteworthy, the more the education, the more technology will spread. Important

developments in war equipment, medicine, computers, take place due to

Education. Finally, Educations enables individuals to express their views

efficiently. Educated individuals can explain their opinions in a clear manner.

Hence, educated people are quite likely to convince people to their point of view.

What do we mean by Diversity?

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, or DE&I as it is commonly referred, is a

phrase that broadly outlines the efforts an institution takes to create a more

6
welcoming environment for people of less-privileged identities. This can mean

working to ensure your upper management is not fully comprised of white men

or implementing mentorship opportunities for young professionals of color in

your workplace. As a whole, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts seek to

create meaningful, systemic change toward more equitable environments.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion can include any number of interventions, and

therefore can feel daunting. Additionally, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is

referred to as DE&I so often that many individuals don’t know what each letter

refers to. Part of the barrier to getting started building a DE&I strategy is not

knowing the difference between these three concepts, and therefore how to

address each.

Diversity “includes all the ways in which people differ, encompassing the

different characteristics that make one individual or group different from

another,” including identity markers such as race, ethnicity, gender, disability,

sexual orientation, religion, and more. It also takes intersectional diversity into

account, when people’s identity is made of a number of underrepresented

identities. As Fatima puts it, diversity is often boiled down to a people’s

perception when they walk into a room and say, “people look different.”

7
Equity is “the fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all

people, while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that

have prevented the full participation of some groups. Improving equity involves

increasing justice and fairness within the procedures and processes of

institutions or systems, as well as in their distribution of resources.” Fatima

emphasized that equity is centered on fair treatment, such as any group of

individuals’ “access, opportunities for advancement, and feeling like they are

growing in the organization.”

Inclusion is “the act of creating environments in which any individual or group

can be and feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued to fully participate.

An inclusive and welcoming climate embraces differences and offers respect in

words and actions for all people.” Inclusion goes beyond diversity, because

once you have a diverse staff, organizations must focus on retention.

8
Racial and cultural diversity are hallmarks of our society. To celebrate this

diversity, and cultivate harmony and respect for all peoples, educators must

nurture equality and inclusion within the classroom. Students enter the

classroom carrying an assortment of beliefs. This may include racial and

cultural prejudices picked up from their neighborhoods, pop culture, and their

families. Educators can help combat prejudice and racial discord by supporting

positive behaviors among students, fostering a sense of belonging for all

students and their families, and instilling respect for all peoples.

9
The classroom isn’t an island. Its walls, even adorned with posters of diverse

figures from history, are porous to ideas. By teaching students about the

contributions that all cultures bring to our society, educators can encourage

them to spread this respect for diversity beyond school. Integrated and diverse

classrooms promote critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity. Racial

and economic diversity within the classroom results in higher test scores – a

quantifiable benefit, of course – but the less tangible reward, a respect for the

dignity of every human, is the bedrock of any healthy community.

“Am I biased?” To support equity in the classroom, each teacher, regardless of

race or cultural background, must learn to assess their own biases in order to

view every student as an individual. Some of the resources in this section can

help educators identify and overcome their own biases and embrace difficult

conversations. These conversations within the school environment are crucial

for creating fair school policies and for cultivating a willingness among teachers

to build positive bonds with their students and their families or guardians. Fair

student-teacher relationships can make all the difference in a student’s life,

while an unfair relationship can sabotage a student’s views on education for the

rest of their life. Working to create a fair, equitable environment based on

values like respect and inclusivity, isn’t simply important to promote an

10
improved learning environment, but also to instill life-long values that enrich

the human experience.

What do we mean by Culture?

Culture does include race, nationality, and ethnicity, but goes beyond those

identity markers as well. The following are various aspects of our individual

identity that we use to create membership with others to form a shared cultural

identity: race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, and social class.

In addition to explaining the above identities, we will also discuss

ethnocentrism, privilege, advantage, disadvantage, power, whiteness, co-

culture, and political correctness as these terms are relevant to understanding the

interplay between communication and culture.

11
When we talk about culture we are referring to belief systems, values, and

behaviors that support a particular ideology or social arrangement. Culture

guides language use, appropriate forms of dress, and views of the world. The

concept is broad and encompasses many areas of our lives such as the role of

the family, individual, educational systems, employment, and gender.

Race is often difficult to talk about, not because of the inherent complexity of

the term itself, but because of the role that race plays in society. Race is what

we call a loaded word because it can bring up strong emotions and connotations.

Understandings of race fall into two camps: a biological versus a sociopolitical

construction of what it means to belong to a particular racial group.

A biological construction of race claims that “pure” races existed and could

be distinguished by such physical features as eye color and shape, skin

color, and hair. Moreover, these differences could be traced back to genetic

differences. This theory has been debunked by numerous scientists and been

replaced with the understanding that there are greater genetic differences within

racial groups, not between them. In addition, there is no scientific connection

with racial identity and cultural traits or behaviors.

Instead of biology, we draw on a sociopolitical understanding of what it means

to be of a particular race. This simply means that it is not a person’s DNA that

12
places them into a particular racial grouping, but all of the other factors that

create social relations—politics, geography, or migration. We can also examine

the reality that the meanings of race have changed across time and space. As

dramatized in the 2002 film, “Gangs of New York,” the Irish were once

considered a minority with little social or political status. Now, being Irish in

America is considered part of the general majority group, white or Caucasian.

Noting the change from the biological to the sociopolitical understanding, we

refer to race as “a largely social—yet powerful— construction of human

difference that has been used to classify human beings into separate value-based

categories” (Orbe and Harris, 2009).

Other concepts that are often confused with race are ethnicity and

nationality. Ethnicity refers to a person’s or people’s heritage and history,

and involves shared cultural traditions and beliefs. A person may identify as

Asian-American racially while their ethnicity is Chinese. Nationality refers to a

people’s nation-state of residence or where they hold citizenship. Most often

nationality is derived from the country where one was born, but on occasion

people give up their citizenship by birth and migrate to a new country where

they claim national identity. For example, an individual could have been born

and raised in another country but once they migrate to the United States and

have American citizenship, their nationality becomes American.

13
Are you male or female? Do you identify as heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bi-

sexual, or transgendered? One’s gender and sexual orientation are two

additional ways to think about culture. Gender is discussed in more detail in

Chapter 13, but for now think of it as the recognition that one is male, female,

or androgynous. Gender is part of culture in that every society has particular

gender roles and expectations for males and females. For example, in the

United States, it is considered normal for the female gender to wear makeup,

while it is often considered inappropriate for a male to do so. However, in some

Native American tribes it was customary for the males to adorn themselves with

paint for hunting and ceremonial rituals.

Sexual orientation refers to a person’s preference for sexual or romantic

relationships; one may prefer a partner of the same sex, the opposite sex, or

both. Sexual orientation influences one’s worldview or politics because while

all societies include members who identify as gay or lesbian, these members do
14
not always receive the same social or health benefits as heterosexual couples.

However, this is changing. As of 2015, the Supreme Court of the Unites States

made gay marriage legal in all 50 states. On top of these specific benefits, those

with a nondominant sexual orientation might still have to contend on a daily

basis that some people think they are deviant or somehow less than heterosexual

people and couples. This may result in strained family relationships or

discrimination in the workplace.

What do we mean by Society?

The society in which we live determines everything from the food we eat to the

choices we make. The word society comes from the latin root socius, meaning

“companion” or “being with others.” A society consists of people who share a

territory, who interact with each other, and who share a culture. Some societies

are, in fact, groups of people united by friendship or common interests. Our

respective societies teach us how to behave, what to believe, and how we’ll be

punished if we don’t follow the laws or customs in place. Sociologists study the

way people learn about their own society’s cultures and how they discover their

place within those cultures. They also examine the ways in which people from

differing cultures interact and sometimes clash—and how mutual understanding

and respect might be reached. According to sociologists, a Society is a group of

15
 people with common territory, interaction, and culture. Social Groups consist

of two or more people who interact and identify with one another.

• Territory: Most countries have formal boundaries and territory that the world

recognizes as theirs. However, a society’s boundaries don’t have to be

geopolitical borders, such as the one between the United States and Canada.

Instead, members of a society, as well as nonmembers, must recognize

particular land as belonging to that society.

The United States is a society composed of many groups of people, some of

whom originally belonged to other societies. Sociologists consider the United

States a Pluralistic Society, meaning it is built of many groups. As societies

modernize, they attract people from countries where there may be economic

hardship, political unrest, or religious persecution. Since the industrialized

countries of the West were the first to modernize, these countries tend to be

more pluralistic than countries in other parts of the world. Many people came to

the United States between the mid-nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries.

Fleeing poverty and religious persecution, these immigrants arrived in waves

from Europe and Asia and helped create the pluralism that makes the United

States unique.

16
Pluralism In The Neighborhood

Both cities and regions reflect pluralism in the United States. Most major

American cities have areas in which people from particular backgrounds are

concentrated, such as Little Italy in New York, Chinatown in San Francisco,

and Little Havana in Miami. Regionally, people of Mexican descent tend to live

in those states that border Mexico. Individuals of Cuban descent are

concentrated in Florida. Spanish-speaking people from other Caribbean islands,

such as Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, are more likely to live in the

Northeast.

Assimilation

Some practices that are common in other societies will inevitably offend or

contradict the values and beliefs of the new society. Groups seeking to become

part of a pluralistic society often have to give up many of their original

traditions in order to fit in—a process known as Assimilation.

Melting Pot?

The United States is commonly referred to as a Melting Pot, a society in which

people from different societies blend together into a single mass. Some

17
sociologists prefer the term “multicultural,” pointing out that even if a group has

been in this country for many generations, they probably still retain some of

their original heritage. The term “Multiculturalism” recognizes the original

heritages of millions of Americans, noting that Americans who are originally

from other societies do not necessarily have to lose their individual markers by

melting into the mainstream.

Equality

In a truly pluralistic society, no one group is officially considered more

influential than another. In keeping with this belief, the United States does not,

for example, put a legal quota on how many Italian Americans can vote in

national elections, how many African Americans may run for public office, or

how many Vietnamese Americans can live on a certain street. However,

powerful informal mechanisms, such as prejudice and discrimination, work to

keep many groups out of the political process or out of certain neighborhoods.

18
Bibliography

Apple, M.W., 2012. Can education change society?. Routledge.

Banks, J.A., Cookson, P., Gay, G., Hawley, W.D., Irvine, J.J., Nieto, S.,

Schofield, J.W. and Stephan, W.G., 2005. Education and diversity. Social

Education, 69(1), pp.36-41.

Benson, L., Harkavy, I.R. and Puckett, J.L., 2007. Dewey's dream: Universities

and democracies in an age of education reform: Civil society, public schools,

and democratic citizenship. Temple University Press.

Chinnammai, S., 2005. Effects of globalization on education and culture. New

Delhi.

Corcoran, P.B., Calder, W. and Clugston, R.M., 2002. Introduction: higher

education for sustainable development.

19
Corson, D., 1998. Changing education for diversity. Buckingham: Open

University Press.

Crossley, M. and Jarvis, P., 2000. Introduction: continuity, challenge and

change in comparative and international education.

Halsey, A.H., Lauder, H., Brown, P. and Wells, A.S., 1997. Education: culture,

economy and society. Oxford University Press.

Hayden, M., 2006. Introduction to international education: International

schools and their communities. Sage.

Johnson, J.A., Dupuis, V.L., Musial, D., Hall, G.E. and Gollnick, D.M.,

1985. Introduction to the foundations of American education. Boston, MA:

Allyn and Bacon.

Naidoo*, R., 2004. Fields and institutional strategy: Bourdieu on the

relationship between higher education, inequality and society. British journal of

sociology of education, 25(4), pp.457-471.

20
Nieto, S., 1992. Affirming diversity: The sociopolitical context of multicultural

education. Longman, 10 Bank Street, White Plains, NY 10606..

Newman, J.W., 1990. America's Teachers. An Introduction to Education.

Longman Inc., 95 Church St., White Plains, NY 10601-1505.

21