Universal and Global Factors in Education

Universal and Global Factors

• The presentation covers universal and global factors affecting education, including the family, education, religion, social services, and health services.
• Topics discussed include universal access to education, which emphasizes equal opportunity regardless of social class, race, gender, sexuality, ethnic background, or physical/mental disabilities.
• Global education integrates social, economic, environmental, and political aspects of the world into the curriculum. A global approach focuses on students' place in the world.
• A national system of education considers national goals and needs, differing across countries. Developing nations strive for a unique identity and require strong national education systems to promote this image.
• Factors influencing national education systems include geographical, economic, social/cultural, and historical factors, as well as language and political factors.

Family

• The family is a primary site of socialization, where individuals learn societal norms, values, and expectations that often reflect societal structures.
• This socialization process in the family can be a mirror, mimicking and sometimes enforcing societal systems of oppression, including gender oppression in patriarchal societies.
• This concept, drawn from Adams, Bell, and Griffin (2007), illustrates how the family often mirrors and potentially perpetuates societal dynamics, even in specific aspects of societal structures.
• Within patriarchal systems, male authority often dominates the family structure.

Protective Factors in Strengthening Families

• Five protective factors foundational to the Strengthening Families Approach are:
  • Parental resilience
  • Social connections
  • Concrete support in times of need
  • Knowledge of parenting and child development
  • Social and emotional competence of children

Parental Resilience

• Parental resilience involves a parent's inner resources and coping skills to handle stress and crises.
• Resilient coping mechanisms allow parents to solve problems, remain calm amidst distress, and navigate challenging times effectively.

Factors Building Parental Resilience

• Factors that build parental resilience include:
  • Faith
  • Flexibility
  • Humor
  • Communication skills
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Mutual supportive caring relationships
  • Ability to identify and access outside resources and services when needed

Life Stressors

• Life stressors include:
  • Typical events and life changes (e.g., moving, childcare, financial difficulties)
  • Unexpected events (e.g., job loss, illness, crisis)
  • Individual factors like substance abuse or trauma
  • Social factors like relationship challenges or isolation
  • Community, societal, and environmental challenges (e.g., poverty, racism, disaster)

Social Connections

• Social connections involve supportive relationships with others, feelings of respect and appreciation, and a willingness to give and receive assistance.
• These factors are crucial components of positive social dynamics and engagement.

The Strengthening Families Protective Factors

• The Strengthening Families approach identifies these core protective factors:
  • Parental Resilience
  • Social Connections
  • Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development
  • Concrete Support in Times of Need
  • Social-Emotional Competence of Children
  • Youth Thrive Protective and Promotive Factors
  • Youth Resilience
  • Social Connections
  • Knowledge of Adolescent Development

Diagram of Support Systems

• A diagram depicts interconnected systems supporting the family (i.e., school, extended family, friends, church, health services, social services, utility services and non-health community services).