Culture and Education

It includes explanation of Culture and Education in the area of Sociological Aspects of Education

1. Sociological Aspects of Education Culture and Education Dr R. S. Dodiya Asst. Professor HMPIETR

2. What is Culture? It is a wide term interpreted differently by various people. A Universal attitude of life A way of living or talking A set of social traditions and customs Progress of music, art, architecture, literature, etc. Knowing more than one language

3. As the infant enters the world cultureless, his behavior, his attitudes, his values, ideas and beliefs as well as his daily activities are influenced by the culture that surrounds him all sides. Not only every stage in the life of man is influenced by culture but also it completes man’s life. Culture is therefore a manmade environment.

4. The term ‘culture’ has been described differently by the various writers. The concept of ‘culture’ is well-defined in The Unabridged Oxford English Dictionary (A new English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 1961) indicates: “ Culture’ deriving from the Latin word ‘ cultus ’ which means cultivation, tending and in Christian authors, worship the action and practice of the cultivating the soil, village or husbandry; the cultivating or rearing of a plant or crop. The term culture means the cultivating and the development of the mind, faculties, manners, the improvement or refinement by education and training, the intellectual side of civilization.” (1247-1248)

5. Some Definitions of Culture Culture is the foundation, the primary thing. It should show itself in the smallest details of your conduct and personality behaviour how you sit, how you walk, how you dress etc. Inner culture must be reflected in your speech, the way in which you treat visitors and guests, and behave towards one another and towards your teacher and elders. - Gandhiji

6. Culture includes all the characteristic activities and interests of people. - T.S. Eliot Culture is composed of integrated Customs, traditions and current behaviour patterns of human group”. - Bogardus

7. Concept of Culture “ Culture is a system of shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviours and artefacts that the members of society use to cope with their world and with one another, and which are transmitted from generation to generation through learning.” It means the cultivation of the soul or mind. It is a process of cultivating high social, moral and spiritual values, manners and etiquette, good habits, beliefs and practices among the people with the view to modify or improve their behaviour . It is a way of acting or a way of behaving It is the knowledge, language, values, customs passed from one generation to the next generation in a society It is the rules of our society – the norms that tell us what is and what is not acceptable in the society

8. Concept of Culture continues… Culture shows our personality and behaviour It shows the behaviour pattern of human group or community. It includes the things which have been created by human being for his spiritual, mental, physical development. It includes all progress and development made in the past and present. It consists of the instruments constructed by human to assist him in satisfying his wants and needs. It includes material objects related to human activity. It shows societal progress and history. It is an ongoing and cumulative process.

9. Culture and Education “It’s not about how rich you are or how much educated…. It’s about how much humanity, values and morals you carry with you. It is about what you carry with your soul and how many have you helped. It is about having a qualitative life.” “There is a very close rather intimate relationship between culture and education. Both are simply aimed at improving and modifying the behavior of a person.”

10. Introduction: Culture and Education have always been interrelated as well as interdependent . One can never be developed or implemented without the help of the other. Both serve each other in order to develop an individual into a cultured and educated person on this earth. Some of the distinct ideas about the relation between culture and education are as follow:----

11. Culture serves as an informal type of education whereas education serves as a formal type of culture. Both culture and education facilitate an individual in making his proper adjustment in the society. Education is a deliberate process through which the values, skills and knowledge of a culture are accumulated from one generation to another.

12. Education helps in Cultural Change and Transmission. This process of transmitting cultural heritage is fostered by schools, colleges, universities and other institutions. Thus, Education is considered as an instrument of cultural change. In fact, one of the major aims of education is to impart cultural heritage( traditional clothing, tools, buildings, artwork, monuments, and modes of transportation ) and social heritage to the child. Education fulfils the twin functions of conservation and modification or renewal of culture. Many a times, it is a systematic effort to maintain culture.

13. Education through its formal and informal agencies plays a significant role in preserving all those values, customs, traditions, beliefs, usages, practices, knowledge and experiences achievements and non-materialistic(abstract ideas of culture) spheres which are worthwhile in the present age. Education brings refinement of the old culture by deleting or excluding those customs, traditions and practices which have either lost their utility or scientifically discarded.

14. Education also plays an important role in the enrichment or promotion of the culture by adding the new experiences, knowledge, inventions and discoveries in the field of science and technology and other achievements made by the society to the culture before transmitting it to the next generation. Culture plays an important role in determining the aims and objectives of education. In a diversified culture, the aim of education will be to bring unity in diversity.

15. Culture also determines the relation between the teacher and students. In an idealistic culture like India, a teacher serves as a spiritual and intellectual father of the students. He is a source of inspiration for the students. Culture gives high social, moral and spiritual values and education inculcates these high social, moral and spiritual values among the students.