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Culture and the educational system.

Same aged peers make important contributions to socialization in societies with regular educational systems. While not all cultures have formal educational systems, there is little doubt that schools are major socializing agents in the vast majority of countries. The educational system in a given country inculcates children with the dominant cultural values and implicitly conveys stereotypes or attitudes, and more explicitly salient culture through music and rituals. What is taught in the educational system is dependent on cultural values. In the United States conservative forces prohibited for a long time the teaching of evolutionary principles, so that history shows that cultural values can determine the very educational curriculum. In individualistic societies success is seen as a consequence of achievement that is individual and relative. Hence the emphasis in the educational system on grading and ranking of students in Western societies as such presumably prepares the student for a competitive society. Although American schools have explored non-grading alternatives and cooperative learning these efforts represent decidedly minority perspectives in education.

When the child enrolls in the school system the influence of peers increase and the majority of waking hours are spent with school mates. Together the educational system and peers play dominant roles in enforcing cultural values through both positive learning events but also by sanctioning behavior that is divergent and non-conformist. The educational system reflects what society thinks is important in order to function optimally. In some societies education is not formal as elders or other experts may teach the next generation cultural competencies and social structures. As the child grows older however peer acceptance is very important and only few children can escape the pressures of norms and customs.


Date: 2015-01-11; view: 725


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The influence of the extended family and peers. | Socio-economic climate.
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