Back to: Sociological Foundations of Education B.ed Notes, M.A Notes, IGNOU Notes
Education and Modernization
Many sociologists believe that the topic of education is the one that captures their interest the most. According to sociologists, education is one of the most crucial things. Smith (1947) viewed education “as a process whereby the socially approved part of the cultural heritage is transmitted from one generation to the next one and whereby newly acquired knowledge is diffused among the members of society.”
The institution of the family served several purposes in prehistoric cultures, such as the transmission of cultural legacy and the instruction of young people in various professions and activities. On the other hand, in today’s society, it is the responsibility of educational institutions to provide formal education to the youthful members of society. Consequently, education only relates to formal education. The physiological, intellectual, and cognitive growth of children is the responsibility of the schools and institutions. One may argue that education affects both people’s ways of life and the social structural components of a society.
Education serves a conservative purpose by passing on social traditions to the future members of society. The creative function of education plays a crucial role in the modernization of emerging cultures by fostering fresh perspectives and ways of thinking. The modernization process is aided by these modifications to the social structure and the alterations in people’s perspectives and attitudes.
What is modernization?
“Modernization means the development of a modern outlook in everyday life.” In sociology, modernization is the process of moving from a traditional, agricultural, rural population to an industrialized, modern, metropolitan society. Modernization theory’s main tenet is that political change, cultural change, and economic development all follow consistent, and to a certain degree, foreseeable, tendencies.
Different people have different ideas about what modernization is; instead of emphasizing psychological-normal variables like “achievement orientation,” “psychic mobility,” and reasoned self indulgence, etc., it focuses on changes in the nation’s hierarchical order, property ownership framework, and ownership of its productive resources.
Modernisation, according to certain theorists:
- Jha(1978) described modernization as, “Modernization is total reorientation of man’s belief, outlook and attitudes.”
- David (2003) defined it as “Modernization implies two things: one transformation in material setting involving systems (political, economic and educational) and institutions, secondly it may also imply change to a value system or value consensus.”
Features of modernization:
- It is a process of social, economic, and political structures being structurally transformed.
- It denotes a deliberate, purposeful, and planned transformation process.
- It suggests change toward rising economic rationalism, fast technical advancement, and structural flexibility.
- It is not an imitation process; rather, it is a process of identification with the developed nations in terms of material wealth and physical richness.
- The implementation of innovative projects for the use of science and technology will lead to material prosperity.
- It entails incorporating contemporary scientific and technical traits into the new national patterns, either via adoption or adaptation.
- The attainment of performance and accomplishment standards must be done in small but steady steps.
Relation between Modernization and Education:
Modernization and education go hand in hand. The fast expansion of education is very necessary for a country to modernize itself. Education may serve as an effective tool for modernization. The pinnacle of intellect is only the result of education. Human resource development is also known as education. It generates qualified workers for various jobs who will increase the country’s wealth via their innovative thinking and productive endeavours. The speed of schooling as a whole provides a clue as to the degree of modernization a country has accomplished. The cornerstone to modernization in a nation’s different spheres of existence, including its economic, industrial, technical, and social spheres, is education.
How Modernization Affects Education
The modernization process, on the other hand, has its effects on education. It is important to fully comprehend how modernization has affected the educational process. Modernization calls for modernizing assessment and instructional technologies to improve things as rapidly as feasible. Teaching and testing practices have been impacted by science and technology development in such a significant way that they are now seen as being part of technology in and of themselves.
Modern educational technology makes use of “teacher-in-the-sky satellites,” television, movies, tape recorders, broadcast networks, and enhanced audio-visual aids. The instructional aids and computers in the classroom are particularly noteworthy. All attempts to educate and modernize the country will be ineffective unless and until we update the teaching methods as done in the highly developed nations.
