Sociology of Education

Education and Social Change

• Education mediates and maintains the cultural heritage of a society, while also minimizing culture lag.
• Education must adjust the old culture to new conditions to keep up with technological change.
• Schools promote social change and reform, not just reflecting and mediating the cultural inheritance of a society.

Role of Education in Social Change

• Education is used as an agent of social change in countries like Germany, Russia, India, Pakistan, and many others.
• The nature of the political system of a society determines the role of education in social change.

Durkheim's Perspective on Education

• Durkheim argued that there are many forms of education, and the type of education realized depends on the society and context.
• Education is crucial for preserving homogeneity and ingraining collective life, but also requires diversity for co-operation.

Interaction between Education and Society

• There is a two-way interaction between education and society, where education can change and modify the social structure.
• The institution and structure of education can be influenced by the political and social aims of society.

Comparative Education

• A study of comparative education reveals that the ideologies, political ideals, and social aims of countries are reflected in their educational systems.
• Examples of countries with distinct educational systems include China, the USA, the USSR, France, Germany, and England.

Karl Mannheim's Perspective

• Mannheim emphasized the need for leaders, including teachers, to be educated to understand the meaning of change.
• Education should train people to be conscious of their social situation, make informed choices, and take decisions.

Philosophy of Education

• Education should be for mobility, flexibility of thought and action, and producing individuals with a high general level of culture.
• This enables individuals to adapt to changing economic and social conditions.