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3. EDUCATION AS A SOCIAL PROCESS

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Education in a Divided World
This chapter is in the book Education in a Divided World
3. EDUCATION AS A SOCIAL PROCESS We sometimes fail to realize to what extent educa-tion underlies our whole economy; we likewise fail to understand how this fact affects the social structure of the nation. If the citizens of this country are to become increasingly active participants in providing better pub-lic schools they must become deeply interested in educa-tional matters. This means a willingness to study the school and the community with a frank recognition of the complexities of modern life. Not as educational amateurs but as voters and taxpayers pledged to sup-port and improve our free schools, people of every age should direct their attention to American education. If they do so, they will encounter some difficult but fasci-nating questions — problems which demand on the one hand a penetrating analysis of American life and on the other a clarification of our basic philosophy. The nature of these problems, and their relation to the future of our democracy are too little understood. Our approach to education is often far too personal. The almost revolutionary change in the role of for-mal education in preparing men for fruitful participa-tion in the national life has had far-reaching effects in this century. When education more advanced than the elementary schools was hardly required except for a few

3. EDUCATION AS A SOCIAL PROCESS We sometimes fail to realize to what extent educa-tion underlies our whole economy; we likewise fail to understand how this fact affects the social structure of the nation. If the citizens of this country are to become increasingly active participants in providing better pub-lic schools they must become deeply interested in educa-tional matters. This means a willingness to study the school and the community with a frank recognition of the complexities of modern life. Not as educational amateurs but as voters and taxpayers pledged to sup-port and improve our free schools, people of every age should direct their attention to American education. If they do so, they will encounter some difficult but fasci-nating questions — problems which demand on the one hand a penetrating analysis of American life and on the other a clarification of our basic philosophy. The nature of these problems, and their relation to the future of our democracy are too little understood. Our approach to education is often far too personal. The almost revolutionary change in the role of for-mal education in preparing men for fruitful participa-tion in the national life has had far-reaching effects in this century. When education more advanced than the elementary schools was hardly required except for a few

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. PREFACE vii
  3. CONTENTS xi
  4. 1. AMERICA’S FITNESS TO SURVIVE 1
  5. 2. THE WORLD DIVIDED 19
  6. 3. EDUCATION AS A SOCIAL PROCESS 38
  7. 4. THE STRUCTURE OF AMERICAN SOCIETY 54
  8. 5. GENERAL EDUCATION: THE HUMANITIES 69
  9. 6. GENERAL EDUCATION: THE STUDY OF MAN 93
  10. 7. GENERAL EDUCATION: THE NATURAL SCIENCES 115
  11. 8. EDUCATION FOR A CAREER 132
  12. 9. THE UNIVERSITY 153
  13. 10. LOWERING THE ECONOMIC BARRIERS 181
  14. 11. SOME PROBLEMS OF AN ARMED TRUCE 211
  15. INDEX 237
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https://doi.org/10.4159/harvard.9780674283756.c3

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. PREFACE vii
  3. CONTENTS xi
  4. 1. AMERICA’S FITNESS TO SURVIVE 1
  5. 2. THE WORLD DIVIDED 19
  6. 3. EDUCATION AS A SOCIAL PROCESS 38
  7. 4. THE STRUCTURE OF AMERICAN SOCIETY 54
  8. 5. GENERAL EDUCATION: THE HUMANITIES 69
  9. 6. GENERAL EDUCATION: THE STUDY OF MAN 93
  10. 7. GENERAL EDUCATION: THE NATURAL SCIENCES 115
  11. 8. EDUCATION FOR A CAREER 132
  12. 9. THE UNIVERSITY 153
  13. 10. LOWERING THE ECONOMIC BARRIERS 181
  14. 11. SOME PROBLEMS OF AN ARMED TRUCE 211
  15. INDEX 237
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