The goals of education as a social institution. Social role and functions of the institute of education
Education is an important social institution. It is known that a social institution is an organized system of connections and social norms that combines significant social values and procedures that meet the basic needs of society. Any functional institution arises and functions, fulfilling this or that social need.
The successful activity of the institute is possible only if a certain set of conditions is realized:
- 1) the existence of social norms and regulations governing the behavior of people within the framework of this institution;
- 2) its integration into the socio-political and value structure of society, which, on the one hand, provides a formal legal basis for the activities of the institution, and on the other hand, allows social control over the relevant types of behavior;
- 3) it is necessary to have material resources and conditions that ensure the successful implementation of regulatory requirements by institutions and the exercise of social control.
Each social institution has both specific features and common features with other institutions.
Signs of the institution of education are: attitudes and patterns of behavior - love for knowledge, attendance; symbolic cultural signs; utilitarian cultural traits; oral and written code; specific ideology - academic freedom, progressive education, equality in education.
Having a value-normative structure with its corresponding social positions, a social institution can be considered as an independent social system, more precisely, a subsystem of the social whole, the activity of which is connected with the realization of the vital need of a large social system (society). Thus, between the social institution, considered as a subsystem, and the social system as a whole, there are certain (functional) dependencies that ensure the stability and development of society.
Education is a social subsystem that has its own structure. As its main elements, one can single out educational institutions as social organizations, social communities (teachers and students), the educational process as a type of sociocultural activity.
In modern concepts concerning the philosophy and sociology of education, it is customary to distinguish between formal and non-formal education. The term "formal education" implies, firstly, the existence in society of special institutions (schools, colleges, technical schools, universities, etc.) that carry out the learning process. Secondly, the education system prevailing in modern industrial society is subject to the educational standard officially prescribed by the state, which defines the minimum boundaries of knowledge and skills required by society in various areas of professional activity. In addition, the state educational standard explicitly or implicitly contains certain socio-cultural orientations related to the education and upbringing of the younger generation in accordance with:
- a) the normative canon of a person (citizen) adopted in a given society;
- b) regulatory requirements for the fulfillment of social roles common in a given society.
Therefore, the activities of the formal education system are determined by the prevailing cultural standards, ideology and political attitudes in society, which are embodied in the educational policy pursued by the state.
In sociology, the object of study is, first of all, the system of formal education, identified with the process of education as a whole, since educational institutions play a decisive role in it. As for the term "non-formal education", it is understood as the unsystematized teaching of an individual to knowledge and skills that he spontaneously masters in the process of communicating with the surrounding social environment (friends, peers, etc.) or through individual familiarization with cultural values, assimilation of information from newspapers, radio, television, etc. Non-formal education is an important part of the socialization of the individual, helps him master new social roles, promotes spiritual development, but in relation to the system of formal education in modern society, it plays an auxiliary role. In what follows, speaking of the sociological problems of education, we will have in mind, first of all, the system of formal education. The education system is also structured according to other principles, it includes a number of links: a system of preschool education, a general education school, vocational education, secondary specialized education, higher education, postgraduate education, a system of advanced training and retraining of personnel, education by interest.
The functions of social institutions are usually understood as the various consequences of their activities, which in a certain way affect the preservation and maintenance of the stability of the social system as a whole. The term “function” itself is often interpreted in a positive sense, i.e. This refers to the favorable consequences of the activities of a social institution, its positive contribution to the integration and preservation of society. Therefore, the activity of a social institution is considered functional if it contributes to maintaining the stability and integration of society. This activity can be regarded as dysfunctional if it interferes with the fulfillment of the social needs of the system, works not for its preservation, but for its destruction. The growth of dysfunctions in the activities of social institutions can lead to social disorganization, instability of the social system, which, by the way, is typical for the current state of Russia, where a number of basic institutions, primarily the economy and politics (the state), by their activities give rise to many dysfunctional consequences.
In the process of normal functioning and development of society, the social institution of education plays an extremely important role, thanks to which the material and spiritual values, knowledge, experience, and traditions accumulated by the work of previous generations are transferred to the new generation of people and assimilated by them. Education can be described as a relatively independent system, the task of which is the systematic education and upbringing of members of society, focused on mastering certain knowledge (primarily scientific), ideological and moral values, skills, habits, norms of behavior, the content of which is determined by the socio-economic and political system. society, the level of its material and technical development. Education is connected with all spheres of public life. This connection is realized directly through a person included in economic, political, spiritual, and other social ties.
Education is an institution that facilitates the transfer and reception from one generation to another of systematized, generally accepted and generally recognized knowledge. It provides the process of development and self-development of the individual, associated with the mastery of the socially significant experience of mankind, embodied in knowledge, skills, creative activity and emotional and value attitude to the world. Moreover, this process occurs, as a rule, within the framework of a formal group, in the course of formal relations "teacher - student". Education is a special institution, the principles and norms of which are indicated quite clearly, and which combines a special set of statuses and roles, and is also managed by special personnel. Crossing the threshold that separates the family from the school, the child goes under a fundamentally different type of jurisdiction. The family, as it were, "transfers" it to another social institution and a completely different type of institution. Other norms and rules of behavior are at work here, and they apply not only to this child, but equally to all others.
Most sociologists believe that the institution of education performs a number of important functions in society (especially modern society). These include:
1) social control function
2) reproductive function,
3) intellectualization function
4)
5)
The formation of educational institutions in traditional societies becomes possible only with the emergence of writing. The institutionalization of education has two aspects: on the one hand, it is the development of the needs of a certain part of society in the assimilation of this accumulated knowledge, and on the other hand, the needs of society itself to further increase and expand their volume. Both of these needs act as complementary and interdependent, as two sides of the coin - the institutionalization of formal education.
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/. 1. Institutional approach to education
As already noted, the institutional approach is the most typical for the sociological analysis of education. In accordance with it, we will understand education as a sustainable form of organizing social life and joint activities of people, which includes a set of persons and institutions endowed with power and material means (based on certain norms and principles in force) for the implementation of social functions and roles, management and social control, during which training, education, development and socialization of the individual are carried out with the subsequent mastery of her profession, specialty, qualification.
The above definition of education reflects such structural elements of any social institution as: a) the presence of a special form of organization of people's life; b) special institutions for such an organization with an appropriate group of persons authorized to perform the necessary social functions and roles in the management and control of activities; c) the norms and principles of relations between these officials and members of society included in the orbit of this social institution, as well as sanctions for failure to comply with these norms and principles; d) necessary material resources (public buildings, equipment, finances, etc.); e) special functions and activities.
Let us dwell in more detail on the functions of the social institution of education. It, like any other social institution, should be considered as a multifunctional one. This allows him to be always in demand at the level of both society and individual social communities and individuals. Polyfunctionality also contributes to the successful fulfillment of the compensatory tasks of the social institution of education, which means that the institution, in the event of a weakening of some functions, will strengthen the action of others (for example, a decrease in the volume of classroom hours in the educational process should lead to the creation of additional conditions for self-education of students).
There are many interpretations of the functions of education, primarily in pedagogy, the philosophy of education and the sociology of education, but most often they relate to activity, systemic, sociocultural, and procedural approaches to their consideration. Without going into discussions on this subject, we will offer the author's version of the interpretation of the functions of the social institution of education. First, we divide them into two large groups - external and internal for the very institution of education, or external institutional and intra-institutional.
1.2. External institutional and intra-institutional functions of education
The first group of functions "brings" education to society as a whole, its numerous social institutions, phenomena and processes of an economic, social and cultural nature. Here, there is the maintenance of stability and balance in the social organism, and the development of production, and the improvement of the professional structure of society, and changes in the social structure, social stratification and mobility, and socio-cultural processes, etc.
The second group of functions can be defined as intra-institutional, it concerns the processes and phenomena within the education itself and is associated with the educational process, its content characteristics, quality, efficiency, socialization of the individual, his upbringing, spiritual and physical improvement and human development, etc.
Let us first characterize the functions of the social institution of education from an external institutional point of view. First of all, it ensures stability in society, social order, and not only in the field of education, but also far beyond its borders, since it is connected with diverse relationships with other social institutions (for example, the state, production, science, culture, family) and has an impact on them a strong influence. The institution of education interacts with a number of social institutions both directly and directly (an illustration of this is the institutions mentioned above), and indirectly, through indirect links (for example, with the institutions of social movements and political parties, sports, etc.).
The named functions of education are quite general, not specified in relation to individual spheres of public life. Meanwhile, the institution of education performs a number of well-defined economic, social, and cultural functions in society.
The economic ones include, first of all, the formation by the institution of education of the socio-professional structure of society and workers who possess the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities. The institution of education affects the economy primarily through the appropriate training of participants in the production process - both professional and social. The question is what kind of education should be given today in terms of its nature and content in terms of its relevance in production and in society. But this is already a problem of vocational education, its structure and content, which we will specially consider in the corresponding chapter. Here, one more circumstance should be noted as very remarkable: even today in developed countries a significant part of even working professions requires not only secondary, but also higher education, and from the point of view of both vocational and social and personal needs.
The social functions of education are quite diverse.
Firstly, this is the reproduction and change in the social structure of society, its stratification model as a whole and its specific elements in particular. Secondly, these are social movements, the transitions of groups, strata and people from one social position to another, or, as they say in sociology, social mobility, which takes place to a large extent due to education.
The cultural functions of the social institution of education consist in the use by the individual, the social community of his achievements for the formation and development of creative activity, and the improvement of culture.
Education is the foundation of culture not only in terms of its development as a social institution and a special sphere of life, but also in personal terms. After all, getting an education is nothing but a process of awakening, formation and realization of needs in the creation, consumption and dissemination of cultural values. It should be specially emphasized that the cultural function of education consists in the reproduction and development of the material and spiritual culture of the most diverse strata and groups of the population, but primarily young people.
It would be wrong to consider education only as a tool for meeting the economic, social, cultural and other needs of a public nature. The institution of education is of no less importance for a particular person, meeting his educational interests and needs beyond the goals and objectives associated with the development of the economy, politics, social sphere, and culture.
Education is also a value in itself, an end in itself. Now the understanding of this circumstance is of particular importance for society. It is in this role that education and its variety, self-education, often act as a source of scientific and cultural progress. Unfortunately, in the activities of the social institution of education, this side of it is rarely taken into account, which affects the organization and development of education itself, and most importantly, people who receive less spiritual food due to the lack of the necessary conditions for this.
The named functional characteristic of education as a social institution is important for any educational structures. They are all brought together by the function of forming the personal "core" of society. In this regard, it should be specially noted that education contributes to the active implementation of the process of socialization of the individual, without which he will not be able to successfully fulfill the whole range of social roles. Here we turn to the consideration of the intra-institutional functions of education.
The Institute of Education contributes to the strengthening of social ties and intra-group cohesion among students and teaching staff. It encourages the desirable behavior of social groups in the field of education, upbringing, socialization, professional training, the interaction of these groups within the framework of democratic innovations, pedagogy of cooperation, humanization of the educational process, etc. norms and principles of conduct. In this sense, the most important function of the social institution of education is to streamline and reduce the activities of social communities within its framework to predictable patterns of social roles, to help maintain social order and maintain a favorable moral climate in society.
Among the intra-institutional functions of education, it is necessary first of all to name the functions of education, upbringing, development, socialization of the individual, professional training (including training in a specialty with the student achieving an appropriate qualification in it). An important intra-institutional function of education is to ensure its high quality, which allows a graduate of an educational institution to be in demand in the labor market.
We do not set ourselves the goal of a special and detailed discussion of the question of the intra-institutional functions of education, believing that this is a task primarily not of sociological, but of pedagogical science. Note that in the sociological literature these functions were analyzed in detail in the works of V.I. Dobrenkov and V.Ya. Nechaev 1 . Among the functions they consider are disciplinary training, socialization-education, vocational training (with a detailed description of its main stages), legitimation and integration, a cultural-generative function, and a function of social control.
The characteristics of the functions of education make it possible to determine its place and role in public life. Of course, it acts not only as a social institution, but also in its other manifestations, including as a system. Moreover, people most often perceive education as a system that includes various stages, links and levels (preschool, school, vocational, additional education, etc.).
Features of the institutional approach to education become well understood when compared with other approaches. This is best done by comparing the institutional and systemic approaches, since the latter is most often implemented in the course of analytical, research, management and reform activities in the field of education.
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A social institution is an organized system of connections and social norms that integrates significant societal values and procedures that meet the basic needs of society.
Any functional institution arises and functions, fulfilling this or that social need.
Each social institution has both specific features and common features with other institutions.
The features of the institute of education are:
1. attitudes and patterns of behavior - love of knowledge, attendance
2. symbolic cultural signs - school logo, school songs
3. utilitarian cultural traits - classrooms, libraries, stadiums
5. ideology - academic freedom, progressive education, equality in education
Education is a social subsystem that has its own structure. As its main elements, educational institutions can be distinguished as social organizations, social communities (teachers and students), the educational process as a type of socio-cultural activity.
Main types of education
The education system is also structured according to other principles, it includes a number of links: a system of preschool education, a general education school, vocational education, secondary specialized education, higher education, postgraduate education, a system of advanced training and retraining of personnel, education by interest.
With regard to preschool education, sociology proceeds from the fact that the foundations of a person's upbringing, his industriousness, and many other moral qualities are laid in early childhood.
In general, the importance of preschool education is underestimated. It is too often overlooked that this is an extremely important step in a person's life, on which the fundamental foundation of a person's personal qualities is laid. And the point is not in quantitative indicators of "coverage" of children or satisfaction of the desires of parents. Kindergartens, nurseries, factories are not just a means of "looking after" children, here their mental, moral and physical development takes place. With the transition to teaching children from the age of 6, kindergartens faced new problems for themselves - organizing the activities of preparatory groups so that children can normally enter the school rhythm of life and have self-service skills.
From the point of view of sociology, the analysis of society's focus on supporting preschool forms of education, on the readiness of parents to resort to their help to prepare children for work and the rational organization of their social and personal life, is of particular importance.
To understand the specifics of this form of education, the position and value orientations of those people who work with children - educators, service personnel - as well as their readiness, understanding and desire to fulfill the duties and hopes assigned to them are especially significant.
Unlike pre-school education and upbringing, which does not cover every child (in 1992, only every second child was in kindergartens), the secondary general education school is aimed at preparing the entire younger generation, without exception, for life. In the conditions of the Soviet period, starting from the 60s, the principle of universality of complete secondary education was implemented in order to provide young people with an "equal start" when entering an independent working life. There is no such provision in the new Constitution of the Russian Federation. And if in the Soviet school, because of the requirement to give every young person a secondary education, percentage mania, registrations, artificial overestimation of academic performance flourished, then in the Russian school the number of school dropouts is growing (according to experts, in 1997, 1.5-2 million people did not study). children), which over time will affect the intellectual potential of society.
But even in this situation, the sociology of education is still aimed at studying the values of general education, at the guidelines of parents and children, at their reaction to the introduction of new forms of education, because graduating from a general education school turns out to be for a young person at the same time the moment of choosing a future life path, profession, kind of occupation. Choosing one of the options, the graduate of the school thereby gives preference to one or another type of vocational education.
Education as a social institution (page 1 of 5)
But what drives him in choosing the trajectory of his future life path, what influences this choice and how it changes throughout life is one of the most important problems of sociology. A special place is occupied by the study of vocational education - vocational, secondary special and higher.
Vocational education is most directly connected with the needs of production, with an operative and comparatively rapid form of bringing young people into life. It is directly carried out within the framework of large industrial organizations or the state education system. Emerging in 1940 as a factory apprenticeship (FZU), vocational education has gone through a complex and winding path of development. And despite the various costs (attempts to transfer the entire system to a combination of complete and specialized education in the preparation of necessary professions, poor consideration of regional and national characteristics), vocational training remains the most important channel for obtaining a profession. For the sociology of education, it is important to know the motives of students, the effectiveness of training, its role in improving skills and real participation in solving economic problems.
At the same time, sociological studies both in the 70-80s and in the 90s still record a relatively low (and low in a number of professions) prestige of this type of education, because the orientation of school graduates to receive higher, and then secondary special education continues to dominate. As for secondary specialized and higher education, it is important for sociology to identify the social status of these types of education for young people, assess the possibilities and role in future adult life, the correspondence of subjective aspirations and objective needs of society, the quality and effectiveness of training. In 1995, 27 million young people aged 12 to 22 were studying, of which 16% were university and technical school students.
Particularly acute is the question of the professionalism of future specialists, that the quality and level of their modern training meet the realities of today. However, both studies of the 80s and studies of the 90s show that many problems have accumulated in this regard. According to the results of sociological research, the low stability of the professional interests of young people continues to remain. According to research by sociologists, up to 60% of university graduates change their profession. According to a survey of graduates of technical schools in Moscow, only 28% of them three years after receiving
Functions of Education
1 Social functions of the education system
Earlier it was said that education is connected with all spheres of public life. This connection is realized directly through a person included in economic, political, spiritual, and other social ties. Education is the only specialized subsystem of society, the target function of which coincides with the goal of society. If various spheres and branches of the economy produce certain material and spiritual products, as well as services for a person, then the education system “produces” the person himself, influencing his intellectual, moral, aesthetic and physical development. This determines the leading social function of education - humanistic.
Humanization is an objective need of social development, the main vector of which is a focus on (a person. Global technocracy as a method of thinking and a principle of activity of an industrial society dehumanized social relations, reversed goals and means. In our society, a person proclaimed as the highest goal, in fact, was turned into the "labor resource". This was reflected in the education system, where the school saw its main function in "preparation for life", and "life" turned out to be labor activity. The value of the individual as a unique individuality, an end in itself of social development was pushed aside "worker" was valued first of all. And since the worker can be replaced, this gave rise to the inhumane thesis that "there are no irreplaceable people". In essence, it turned out that the life of a child, a teenager is not yet a full life, but only preparation for life , life begins with the entry into labor activity.But what about the completion of it? It is no coincidence that in the public mind there was an attitude towards the elderly, the disabled as inferior members of society. Unfortunately, at present the situation in this regard has not improved, we have to talk about the growing dehumanization of society as a real process, where the value of labor has already been lost.
Considering the humanistic function, it should be said that this concept is filled with new content. Humanism in its classical, anthropocentric understanding in modern conditions is limited and insufficient, does not correspond to the concept of sustainable development, the survival of mankind. Today, a person is considered as an open system from the standpoint of the leading idea of the end of the second millennium - the idea of co-evolution. Man is not the center of the Universe, but a particle of Society, Nature, Cosmos. Therefore, it is legitimate to speak of neo-humanism. If we turn to the various parts of the education system, then the neo-humanistic function is called upon to be realized to the fullest extent in the system of preschool education and in the general education school, and to the greatest extent - in the lower grades. It is here that the foundations of the intellectual, moral, physical potential of the individual are laid. As recent studies by psychologists and geneticists show, a person's intelligence is 90% formed by the age of 9. But here we are faced with the phenomenon of the "inverted pyramid". It is precisely these links in the education system itself that are regarded as non-basic, and vocational, secondary and higher education come to the fore (in terms of importance, funding, etc.). As a result, the social losses of society are great and irreplaceable. To solve the problem, it is necessary to: overcome the subject-centric approach in education, primarily in the general education school; humanization and humanization of education, including, along with a change in the content of education, a change in relations in the teacher-student system (from object to subject-object).
Place and role of education in society. Education is an institution that facilitates the transfer and reception from one generation to another of systematized, generally accepted and generally recognized knowledge. It provides the process of development and self-development of the individual, associated with the mastery of the socially significant experience of mankind, embodied in knowledge, skills, creative activity and emotional and value attitude to the world. Moreover, this process occurs, as a rule, within the framework of a formal group, in the course of formal relations "teacher - student".
Education is a special institution, the principles and norms of which are indicated quite clearly, and which combines a special set of statuses and roles, and is also managed by special personnel. Crossing the threshold that separates the family from the school, the child goes under a fundamentally different type of jurisdiction. The family, as it were, "transfers" it to another social institution and a completely different type of institution. Other norms and rules of behavior are at work here, and they apply not only to this child, but equally to all others.
Functions of the social institution of education. Most sociologists believe that the institution of education performs a number of important functions in society (especially modern society).
10. Education as a social institution.
These include:
1) social control function. Schoolchildren or students, being within the walls of an educational institution, experience constant socio-psychological pressure, not only from the side of teachers, but also from the classmates surrounding them, it is they who now become “significant others” for him.
2) reproductive function, those. reproduction (in the broad sense of the word) of new full-fledged members of society, who have approximately the same set of knowledge about the world around them as all other members of this society and a similar system of values and standards of behavior.
3) intellectualization function(development of intellect) of those members of society who fall within its sphere of influence, i.e. in transferring to them a set of knowledge of generally recognized importance and significance - both scientific and otherwise, as well as in developing the skills of logical thinking. In the words of Nietzsche, "the school has no more important task than to teach strict thinking, caution in judgment and consistency in conclusions."
4)function of enhancing social mobility. The institution of education is rightly regarded as one of the important channels of social mobility. In most societies known to us, formal education is seen as a necessary condition for access to higher status positions.
5) the function of forming social conformism. It should be remembered that any channel of social mobility has its own filters. In the institute of education, such filters include not only formal exams, but also a test of loyalty to the ruling system and the system of values that prevails in it. The institution of education does not just form and discipline the intellect, it develops in its pupils the skills of social conformity. Pierre Bourdieu, for example, argues that it is the school, through its mechanisms for awarding certificates and diplomas, that is the key institution through which the established order is maintained in society.
Education in different types of societies. The institutions of education in the societies where they arise are firmly integrated into the general system of social relations, becoming an organic part of it, and the social changes taking place in other institutions are inevitably reflected in education.
In primitive societies, there is simply no institution of education and cannot be. Here, the accumulation of knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for life and their transfer to subsequent generations is carried out exclusively orally and, most often, on an individual basis. Here, a special role belongs to the elderly, who act as guardians, guardians and even - in necessary cases - reformers of the mores, customs and the whole complex of knowledge that have been established since the ages, constituting the essence of material and spiritual life. The institutionalization of education in a primitive society is in principle impossible due to the fact that there is no written language. This is important enough because the absence of a written language excludes the unification of a more or less standard set of knowledge, which always lies at the foundation of any formal education.
The formation of educational institutions in traditional societies becomes possible only with the emergence of writing.
The institutionalization of education has two aspects: on the one hand, it is the development of the needs of a certain part of society in the assimilation of this accumulated knowledge, and on the other hand, the needs of society itself to further increase and expand their volume. Both of these needs act as complementary and interdependent, as two sides of the coin - the institutionalization of formal education.
A traditional society does not yet have the resources or the motivation for most of its members to make literacy universal. As a result, society is divided not only into the rich and the poor, but also into those who can read and write and those who do not. In the early stages of traditional society, the institutions of education are almost exclusively the responsibility of the clergy. The school here cannot yet be regarded as the most important channel of social mobility: in any case, it performs these functions to a much lesser extent than such channels as the institutions of the army or the church. The vast majority of members of a traditional society do not have the financial means or sufficient motivation to learn at least elementary literacy—their daily activities do not require this. Among urban residents, the level of education was somewhat higher. One of the most important reasons for the inaccessibility of education for the masses was its high cost. The nature of the formal education received by members of a traditional society is very clearly differentiated for representatives of its various strata, both in content and quality. Moreover, this is connected not only with the existence of differentiation of educational institutions into prestigious and non-prestigious. The point is also that representatives of the lower social strata in the course of their socialization receive a much weaker motivation to improve their intellectual level, most often quite content with little. So the problems of information justice, connected with the nature of the distribution of its information potential among members of society, are no less complex than the problems of economic or political justice.
In an industrial society, the emergence of the need for mass literacy is due to a sharp increase in the effect of the law of change of labor: the average worker in the course of industrialization becomes forced to acquire more and more new knowledge, skills and abilities, if he does not want to be thrown overboard and lose his livelihood. Professional development as a condition for obtaining a higher income and social status, or at least maintaining them at the same stable level, increasingly depends on the level of education received (including purely formal). Mass production also requires a mass influx of more or less trained labor, and its rapid development, spurred on by constant competition, cannot be satisfied by the previous pace of general and vocational training. As the industrial revolution develops, the nature of its organization begins to act as the most important stimulating factor in raising the educational level of the entire population, along with technology and production technology. At the same time, mass production, in need of mass literacy, simultaneously creates the material prerequisites for its development; First of all, this refers to the reduction in the cost of printed materials, which means the ever-wider availability of textbooks. Another important factor contributing to the spread of mass literacy was the change in political institutions caused by the industrial revolution, given the increasing role played by the media in the political process. Ultimately, sooner or later, the vast majority of the organizational and material costs of education are borne by the state, as well as the local authorities representing it. Education in the industrial age becomes the most important, if not the decisive channel of social mobility, which entails significant changes in individual life styles.
In advanced societies approaching a post-industrial state, a fairly clear trend has emerged: here educated people receive more for their work than at any time in history. At the same time, the proportion of members of society with higher and equivalent education is steadily increasing. One of the most important problems that post-industrial societies will have to face is the explosion of the total amount of information that has to be acquired in the course of formal education. In practice, this question really breaks down into two relatively independent tasks: 1) how to effectively navigate the growing information flows? 2) how to effectively and fully assimilate the information to which you finally got real access? The solution of the last problem has received in practice the name of the fight against functional illiteracy. This concept means: firstly, the practical loss of skills in reading, writing and elementary calculations; secondly, such a level of general educational knowledge that does not allow them to fully function in a modern, continuously becoming more complex society. We are talking about those who can put the letters of a written text into words, words into phrases, but are not able to really understand what exactly these words and phrases mean. What is the use of the fact that with the help of computers and communication networks almost any information becomes quickly available to you if you are not able to adequately perceive and assimilate it? Because information, unlike material goods, cannot be appropriated, but must be precisely assimilated, i.e. understood and comprehended, but from the standpoint of the information already at your disposal. The very awareness of the problem of functional illiteracy is a sign of a rather serious progress of society along the path of the information revolution: those societies that have realized it are taking serious measures to solve it; in others, it is not yet on the agenda at all. The further, the more the lack of knowledge of computer technologies is considered as an integral part of functional illiteracy.
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Social institutions of education and science
The education system is one of the most important social institutions. It ensures the socialization of individuals, through which they develop the qualities necessary for indispensable life processes and transformations.
The institution of education has a long history of primary forms of knowledge transfer from parents to children.
Education serves the development of the individual, contributes to its self-realization.
At the same time, education is of crucial importance for the society itself, ensuring the fulfillment of the most important tasks of a practical and symbolic nature.
The education system makes a significant contribution to the integration of society and contributes to the formation of a sense of common historical destiny, belonging to this single society.
But the education system has other functions as well. Sorokin notes that education (especially higher education) is a kind of channel (elevator) through which people increase their social status. At the same time, education exercises social control over the behavior and worldview of children and adolescents.
The education system as an institution includes the following components:
1) educational authorities and institutions and organizations subordinate to them;
2) a network of educational institutions (schools, colleges, gymnasiums, lyceums, universities, academies, etc.), including institutions for advanced training and retraining of teachers;
3) creative unions, professional associations, scientific and methodological councils and other associations;
4) educational and scientific infrastructure institutions, design, production, clinical, medical and preventive, pharmacological, cultural and educational enterprises, printing houses, etc.
Are you sure you're human?
5) textbooks and teaching aids for teachers and students;
6) periodicals, including journals and yearbooks, reflecting the latest achievements of scientific thought.
The institution of education includes a certain area of activity, groups of persons authorized to perform certain managerial and other functions on the basis of established rights and obligations, organizational norms and principles of relations between officials.
The set of norms that regulate the interaction of people about learning indicates that education is a social institution.
A harmonious and balanced education system that meets the modern needs of society is the most important condition for the preservation and development of society.
Science, along with education, can be regarded as a social macro-institution.
Science, like the education system, is a central social institution in all modern societies and is the most complex area of human intellectual activity.
More and more, the very existence of society depends on advanced scientific knowledge. Not only the material conditions for the existence of society, but also the ideas of its members about the world depend on the development of science.
The main function of science is the development and theoretical systematization of objective knowledge about reality. The purpose of scientific activity is the acquisition of new knowledge.
Purpose of education- transfer of new knowledge to new generations, i.e. youth.
If there is no first, then there is no second. That is why these institutions are considered in close relationship and as a single system.
In turn, the existence of science without education is also impossible, since it is in the process of education that new scientific personnel are formed.
The formulation of the principles of science has been proposed Robert Merton in 1942
Among them: universalism, communalism, disinterest and organizational skepticism.
The principle of universalism means that science and its discoveries are of a single, universal (universal) character. No personal characteristics of individual scientists (gender, age, religion, etc.) matter in assessing the value of their work.
Research results should be judged solely on their scientific merit.
According to the principle of communalism, no scientific knowledge can become the personal property of a scientist, but should be available to any member of the scientific community.
The principle of disinterest means that the pursuit of personal interests does not meet the requirements for the professional role of a scientist.
The principle of organized skepticism means that the scientist must refrain from formulating conclusions until the facts are fully consistent.
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Education as a social institution
Education is a purposeful, organized process on the basis of which society transfers values, skills, knowledge from one person (group) to others.
Education, as a social institution, includes ideas and goals related to education, organizations that implement them, management bodies for these processes, people working in these organizations and management bodies.
Functions of education in society
Recall that the approach of sociologists to the consideration of any social phenomena differs in that sociologists consider them systematically, that is, in connection with other social phenomena. Therefore, the functions of education as a social institution, from the point of view of sociology, do not look quite the same as, for example, from the point of view of teachers.
So, the most important functions of education in society: (according to Smelser)
— transmission of the values of the dominant culture. But there are always many subcultures in society, so there is always a conflict between the goals of education and the needs of various social (ethnic and other) groups, between the center and the periphery, etc.
— means of social control. School and other educational institutions provide not only knowledge, skills and abilities. But they form certain values and behavior patterns. The current, very methodologically equipped education, in fact, programs students, not only for certain patterns of behavior, but also for certain models of thinking. Therefore, governments in all countries are very closely watching (or should be watching) what and how they teach the younger generation.
— filter device , a way of distributing people according to their abilities and merit. Here, too, there is a significant contradiction. Firstly, the criteria for success in school and in life do not always coincide, but the school always “hangs” a certain label (stigma) on its students and thus, as it were, predetermines their life path. Secondly, most schools in the world practice testing children after the 4th grade and their subsequent forced distribution to different levels of education. The strong are selected into the "elite" streams and prepared to enter universities, the average ones are prepared to enter secondary vocational schools, the rest of the path of further education is practically closed.
In Western countries, they have long understood the perniciousness of such a differentiation of children and have adopted (or are trying to adopt) long-term programs for the transition to other models of education, without stratification of children. In our country, in Soviet times, such differentiation of children was prohibited, but now, unfortunately, our schools are becoming similar to those that are abandoned in the West.
— investment in the future. In education, as nowhere else, the truth is true: what you invest today, you will receive tomorrow. Therefore, it is extremely important, when developing youth education programs, to correctly predict the needs of the material and non-material spheres of society for 10-15 years ahead.
Factors in the development of mass education
Mass free education (primary classes first) appeared, first of all, in response to the need for a mass literate workforce, after a series of industrial revolutions, as well as in response to democratic revolutions in a number of countries, at the end of the 18th, beginning of the 19th centuries. The non-aristocratic classes needed literacy and the support of the masses to participate in political life. Equal social opportunities have become synonymous with equal educational opportunities. The self-development of the institution of education itself also played its role - a social group of teachers appeared, united by a legitimate interest in raising the prestige of their profession, material support from the state, expanding their influence, etc.
And now we can say that the main factors in the development of education are the needs of the economy, government policy, largely associated with a certain ideology, as well as the logic of self-development of the education sector itself.
From the standpoint of sociology, three more factors are very significant for the development of education as a social institution:
— the degree of centralization of education. The most centralized (that is, there is a single center, for example, the Ministry of Education, which actually prescribes to all educational structures of the country who, what, how, in what time frame, etc., should be taught) education in the world was in the USSR. The most decentralized (there is no such center that would prescribe what and how to teach everyone, therefore each region determines for itself ...) - in the USA.
Like every extreme, the centralized and decentralized organization of education has significant drawbacks. For each country, taking into account local conditions, it is necessary to find the optimal level of centralization-decentralization.
- the ratio of natural / liberal education. Here, also, “the most natural” (that is, subjects of the natural cycle clearly dominate - physics, mathematics, chemistry, biology, etc.) education was in the USSR. And in the USA, for example, “the most humanitarian” education (priority to the subjects of the humanitarian cycle - history, law, art, etc.).
What does this ratio depend on? - above all from the policy (the dominant ideology) of the government! The USSR, for example, has always been at war or preparing for war since its inception. Therefore, the order of the state to education was quite definite: to prepare, first of all, the military and labor force for industry (not lawyers, economists, etc., but, first of all, workers and engineers for military factories).
- elitism of education. Elite education means special and for a narrow circle. In ancient times, all education was elitist: in ancient Athens, fine arts were studied in schools for the elite, in ancient Rome, military leaders and statesmen were trained. They valued the ability to think independently, make decisions, etc., most of all.
At the present time - in all economically developed countries there is free secondary education "for all", and things are moving towards free higher education. These are the requirements of the economy and the democratic structure of society. However, in a society divided into strata, the elitism of one or another type of education is a completely natural phenomenon. Why? Parents from the upper classes will always be able to provide their children with the best education (the best teachers, the most prestigious schools and universities).
In addition, the powerful of this world, at all times, had and still have fears that "excessive" education will make the poor less adapted to their position in life ... The main difference between modern elite and mass schools is that in the elite - first of all, they teach to manage (people, social processes), and in the mass - they are taught to obey the managers.
Education and social mobility
There is a stereotype: the better and higher the education received, the greater the success in life. Cross-cultural studies in different countries show that, by and large, this is the case. However, excellent grades at school and university do not at all guarantee excellent achievements after training. Studies show that the social mobility of children is strongly influenced by their mental abilities, the socioeconomic status of their parents, and the quality of teaching at school. However, the strongest influence is exerted by the values of parents, inner harmony or contradictions in their family life, their real way of life. Children basically “catch” the lifestyle of their parents and reproduce it in their lives. This, in many respects, explains many cases when children grow up in the same yard, study in the same class, but then one becomes a scientist, and the other becomes a criminal, etc.
Prospects for the development of education
Education is a cultural universal, that is, in one form or another, it is always present in the culture of a society. As shown above, education strongly depends on the real needs of the economy, government policy, the traditions of society and the institution of education itself. Trends in the development of society will naturally have an impact on the development of education. If society becomes more democratic, then education will be more democratic, if tendencies towards autocracy appear in society, this will also affect education.
Security questions on the topic
What is education - as a social process?
What does education include as a social institution?
What are the functions of education as a social institution in society?
What factors in the development of society led to the emergence of the existing form of education?
What is the difference between the goals of elite and mass education?
How does education affect social mobility in society?
1. Social institutions(from lat. institutum - establishment, institution) - these are historically established stable forms of organizing joint activities of people.
In other words, social institutions are relatively stable patterns of behavior of people and social organizations in a certain area of activity.
The term "social institution" is used in a wide variety of meanings. It applies to the family, the state, law, economy, property, and so on.
From the outside (formal) a social institution looks like a set of persons, institutions equipped with certain material resources and performing a specific social function. On the inside (content) side- this is a certain set of norms, values, expediently oriented standards of behavior of certain individuals in certain situations.
Thus, justice as a social institution outwardly represents a set of persons (judges, prosecutors, lawyers, notaries, etc.), institutions (courts, prosecutor's offices, correctional institutions, etc.), as well as the material means used by them (buildings, equipment, finance, etc.). From the content side, the social institution of justice is a set of standardized patterns of behavior of eligible persons that ensure the fulfillment of this social function. These standards of behavior are embodied in the social roles characteristic of the justice system (the role of a judge, prosecutor, lawyer, etc.).
The structure of a social institution:
1. A set of social positions and roles.
2. Social norms and sanctions governing the functioning of this social area.
3. A group of persons professionally employed in this field.
4. The totality of organizations and institutions operating in this area.
5. Material means and resources that ensure the functioning of the sphere.
In carrying out their functions, social institutions encourage the actions of their members, consistent with the relevant standards of behavior, and suppress deviations in behavior from the requirements of these standards, that is, they control and streamline the behavior of individuals. On the other hand, social institutions satisfy certain needs of society and regulate the use of resources available to society.
A social institution is a broader entity than an organization. The main features inherent in social institutions and distinguishing them from other entities:
1. Social institutions are characterized by stability in space and time, i.e. historicity.
2. The specificity of institutional behavior that implements the interdependence of individuals into an integral system of interaction.
3. Mandatory norms and requirements of this institutionalized form of activity for the majority of representatives of this kind of interaction.
Depending on the types of needs of society, there are various types of social institutions.
1. Economic, which are engaged in the production, exchange and distribution of material goods and services (property, money, banks, economic associations of various types).
2. Political, associated with the establishment, maintenance and execution of power (the state, political parties, the prosecutor's office, parliamentarism).
3. Cultural, which are created to strengthen the culture, the socialization of the younger generation (education, science, art).
4. Religious, satisfying the spiritual needs of individuals.
5. Institute of marriage and family.
The main functions of a social institution as such:
1. The function of consolidating and reproducing social relations in a certain area.
2. The function of integration and cohesion of society.
3. The function of regulation and social control.
4. Communicative function or the inclusion of people in activities.
For each specific institution, explicit functions, latent functions and dysfunctions can be distinguished.
Explicit functions of a social institution- those functions for the performance of which this social institution was created, that is, functions corresponding to its purpose. (So, the obvious function of the social institution of the family is the reproduction of offspring, its upbringing and familiarization with social life).
Latent (hidden) functions of a social institution- the positive consequences of the performance of explicit functions that arise in the process of the life of a social institution are not determined by the purpose of this institution. (So, the latent function of the family institution is social status, or the transfer of a certain social status from one generation to another within the family).
Dysfunctions social institution - the phenomenon of discrepancy between the activities of a social institution and existing social needs.
Outwardly, the phenomena of dysfunction of a social institution can be expressed in a lack of trained personnel, material resources, organizational shortcomings, etc. From a substantive point of view, dysfunctions are expressed in the ambiguity of the goals of activity, the uncertainty of functions, the fall in social prestige and the authority of this institution.
institutionalization is the process of giving various types of social activity the form of social institutions or, in other words, the process of streamlining, formalizing and standardizing social ties.
The process of institutionalization includes several points:
1). The emergence of certain social needs in new types of social activity and the corresponding socio-economic and political conditions.
2). Development of the necessary organizational structures and related social norms and behavior regulators.
3). Internalization by individuals of new social norms and values, the formation on their basis of a system of personality needs, value orientations and expectations.
As a sign of the institutionalization of the social area, one can consider the emergence of a new social community engaged in specialized activities, the emergence of social norms (including legally fixed ones) that regulate this activity, institutions and organizations that ensure the protection of certain interests. Thus, education becomes a social institution when a special social community appears, engaged in professional training and education, a mass school develops, special norms regulating the process of transferring social experience.
In modern conditions in our society, the institutionalization of new forms of economic activity is associated with the emergence of norms, laws that favor their development, special institutions, organizations involved in the preparation and execution of new forms, for example, through privatization, protecting the interests of private owners.
2. The concept of education is ambiguous. It can be considered both as a process and as a result of the assimilation of systematized knowledge, skills and personal development. This is the real level of knowledge, personality traits, actual education. And the formal result of this process is a certificate, a diploma, a certificate.
Education is also seen as a system that includes various levels:
1. Preschool.
2. Initial.
3. Average.
4. Higher.
5. Postgraduate studies
The education system also includes various types:
1. Mass and elite.
2. General and technical.
In its modern form, education arose inAncient Greece . It was dominated by private family education, which was carried out by slaves. Public schools functioned for the poorest sections of the free population. Selection appears. Elite schools (sitarii) form artistic taste, the ability to sing, play musical instruments. Physical development and military abilities were formed in palestras, developed in gymnasiums. It was in Ancient Greece that the main types of schools were born: the gymnasium, the lyceum (the place where Aristotle presented his system), the academy (Plato).
INAncient Rome the school pursued the goal of solving applied, utilitarian problems, was aimed at training soldiers and statesmen, and strict discipline reigned in it. Morality, law, history, rhetoric, literature, art, medicine were studied.
Religious education was formed in the Middle Ages. There are 3 types of educational institutions:
1. Church and parish. 2. Cathedral. 3. Secular.
In the 12th-13th centuries, universities appeared in Europe, and with them colleges for people from the poorest strata. Typical faculties: arts, law, theology and medicine.
Education has become widespread over the past two or three centuries. Consider those social changes that contributed to the development of education.
First of these changes has become Democratic revolution. As can be seen from the example of the French Revolution (1789-1792), it was caused by the growing desire of non-aristocratic strata to participate in political affairs.
In response to this demand, educational opportunities were expanded: after all, new actors on the political stage should not be ignorant masses, in order to vote, the popular masses should at least know the letters. Mass education turned out to be closely connected with the participation of the people in political life.
The ideal of an equal opportunity society is another aspect of the democratic revolution that has manifested itself in various forms and at various times in many countries. Because education is seen as the main way to ensure upward social mobility, equal social opportunity has become almost synonymous with equal access to education.
Second the most important event in the history of modern education was industrial Revolution. In the early stages of industrial development, when technology was primitive and workers were low-skilled, there was no need for an educated workforce. But the development of industry on a large scale required the expansion of the educational system to train skilled workers who could perform new and more complex activities.
Third An important change that contributed to the expansion of the education system was associated with the development of the institution of education itself. When an institution strengthens its position, a group is formed, united by common legitimate interests, which makes its demands on society - for example, to increase its prestige or material support from the state. Education is no exception to this rule.
How a social institution education formed in the 19th century when there is a mass school. In the 20th century, the role of education is constantly increasing, the formal level of education of the population is growing. In developed countries, the vast majority of young people graduate from high school (USA - 86% of youth, Japan - 94%). The return to education is growing. The increase in national income due to investment in education reaches 40-50%.
The share of public spending on education is increasing. To characterize the level of education of the population, such an indicator as the number of students per 10 thousand of the population is used. According to this indicator, Canada is the leader - 287, USA - 257, Cuba - 239. 167 students accounted for 10 thousand, then in 1997-98 account. - 219, 2000-01 academic year - 259. This is due to the development of private education and the expansion of paid education in state universities.
In general, education is called upon to transmit from generation to generation the values of the dominant culture. However, these values are changing, so the content of education is also undergoing changes. If in ancient Athens the main attention was paid to the fine arts, then in ancient Rome the main place was occupied by the training of military leaders and statesmen. In the Middle Ages in Europe, education was concentrated on the assimilation of Christian teachings, in the Renaissance, interest in literature and art was again observed. In modern societies, the emphasis is mainly on the study of natural sciences, and much attention is paid to the development of the individual, that is, the humanization of education.
Education functions:
1. Socio-economic. Preparation for labor activity of the workforce of different skill levels
2. Cultural. It ensures the transmission of cultural heritage from one generation to another.
3. Socializing. Familiarization of the individual with social norms and values of society.
4. Integration. By introducing common values, teaching certain norms, education stimulates common actions, unites people.
5. Function of social mobility. Education acts as a channel of social mobility. Although in the modern world unequal access to education persists. Thus, in the United States, 15.4% of children from families with incomes below $10,000 go to universities, more than $50,000. - 53%.
6. selection function. There is a selection of children in elite schools, their further promotion.
7. Humanistic. Comprehensive development of the personality of the student.
There are also latent functions of education, which include the function of "nanny" (the school relieves parents from the need to look after their children for some time), the function of forming a communication environment, higher education in our society plays the role of a kind of "luggage storage".
Among the various goals of education, three are the most stable: intensive, extensive, productive.
Extensive goal education involves the transfer of accumulated knowledge, cultural achievements, helping students in self-determination on this cultural basis, using the existing potential.
Intense Purpose education consists in the broad and complete development of the qualities of students to form their readiness not only to acquire certain knowledge, but also to constantly deepen knowledge, develop creative potential.
productive goal education involves preparing students for the types of activities that they will be engaged in and the structure of employment that has developed.
At the turn of the 20th century, the main trends in the renewal of education were clearly identified:
Democratization of the entire system of education and upbringing;
Increasing the importance of the fundamental component of education;
Humanization and humanitarization of education, the use of the latest teaching technologies;
Integration of different forms and systems of education, both at the national and global levels.
The main idea of the reform- the development of education based on the principle of continuity, which provides for the constant replenishment and updating of human knowledge, his spiritual improvement throughout life.
Problems in the functioning of education in Ukraine:
1. There is a threat of a drop in the level of vocational education.
2. Deterioration of the conditions of the educational process.
3. Deterioration of the quality of teaching staff.
4. Loss of its quality by education to be an effective means of achieving personal life goals.
5. The threat of losing the positive features of the domestic system of education and upbringing.
INSTITUTE OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY
1. Marriage- a historically established, sanctioned and regulated by society form of relations between a man and a woman, establishing their rights and obligations in relation to each other, to children and society.
Before the emergence of the institution of marriage in society, there was promiscuity- the state of society, characterized by the absence of any prohibitions on sexual relations, i.e. a condition in which any man in a given society could be the sexual partner of any woman in that society.
Forms of marriage:
1. group marriage- several individuals of the same sex marry several individuals of the opposite sex.
2. Polygamy- one individual of one sex marries several individuals of the other sex. Polygamy is of two types:
a) polyandry (or polyandry);
b) polygyny (or polygamy).
3. Monogamy(or pair marriage).
According to the preferred partner, marriages are distinguished:
1. Exogamy- the marriage partner is chosen outside the given genus , group, clan.
2. Endogamy- a marriage partner is chosen only within the framework of a given genus, group, clan.
According to the socio-demographic, ethnic, educational characteristics of spouses, marriages are:
1. Homogamous - spouses have a similar age, education, profession, belong to the same ethnic group.
2. Heterogamous - spouses differ significantly in the listed characteristics.
According to the registration form, marriages are:
1. Civil.
2. Church.
For legal purposes:
1. Legal marriage.
2. Free marriage (or cohabitation).
Pedigree and inheritance of property in marriage can be carried out:
1. On the female line.
2. In the male line.
3. On both lines.
The institution of marriage is one of the oldest social institutions. In the course of historical development undergoes major changes. In a slave-owning society, only the marriage of free citizens was recognized by the state, the marital relations of slaves were considered as cohabitation. In the early European Middle Ages, church marriage was mandatory for all, serfs could marry only with the consent of the feudal lord. Under capitalism, the influence of private property relations on marriage is greatly enhanced.
The spread of women's labor activity, the decline in the prestige and influence of religion, the democratization of marriage and family legislation and sexual morality led, on the one hand, to the crisis of classical marriage (which is manifested in an increase in the number of divorces), on the other hand, to the development of new forms of marital relations based on predominantly on mutual feeling and personal choice and characterized by relative equality of spouses.
2. Family- based on consanguinity, marriage or adoption, an association of people connected by a common life and mutual responsibility for raising children.
Family signs:
1. Marriage, kinship or adoption ties.
2. Cohabitation.
3. General family budget.
Like a small group family is studied at the micro level, special attention is paid to the analysis of interpersonal interaction in the family, the organization of family life, group behavior.
As a social institution, the family is studied at the macro level, its social functions, the mutual influence of the family and the economy, politics, religion, culture, etc. are analyzed.
According to the type of family structure, families are:
1. Nuclear - consist of spouses and children dependent on them.
2. Extended - consist of several nuclear families or of a nuclear family and other relatives.
3. Incomplete - missing one of the spouses.
According to the type of power structure, families are:
1. Patriarchal.
2. Matriarchal.
3. Egalitarian (equal).
According to the place of residence of the newlyweds:
1. Patrilocal - the newlyweds live with the husband's parents.
2. Matrilocal - the newlyweds live with the wife's parents.
3. Neo-local - the newlyweds live separately from their parents.
4. Unilocal - the newlyweds live with those parents who have living space.
By the number of children, families are:
1. Childless.
2. Small children (1-2 children).
3. Large families (3 or more).
Depending on the age characteristics of the spouses, there are:
1. Youth family (the age of the spouses is up to 30 years);
2. Family of middle marital age;
3. An elderly couple.
Family Functions:
| Sphere of family activity | Function types | |
| Public | Individual | |
| 1. Reproductive | Biological reproduction of the population | Satisfying the needs of children |
| 2. Educational | Socialization of the younger generation. Maintaining the cultural reproduction of society | Satisfaction of the need for parenthood, contacts with children, self-realization in children |
| 3. Household | Maintaining the physical health of members of society, caring for children and the elderly | Provision of household services by one family member to another |
| 4. Economic | Economic support for minors and disabled members of society | Receipt of material resources by some family members from others (in case of disability or in exchange for services) |
| 5. The scope of primary social control | Moral regulation of the behavior of family members in various spheres of life | Formation and maintenance of legal and moral sanctions in case of violation of norms by family members |
| 6. Spiritual fellowship | Personal development of family members | Spiritual enrichment. Maintaining friendships in marriage |
| 7. Social status | Granting a certain social status to family members, reproduction of the social structure | Satisfying social promotion needs |
| 8. Leisure | Organization of rational leisure. social control | Satisfying the needs for joint leisure activities, mutual enrichment of interests. |
| 9. Emotional | Emotional stabilization of individuals and their psychological therapy | Getting psychological protection, emotional support in the family. Satisfying the needs for happiness and love |
| 10. Sexy | sexual control | Satisfying sexual needs, relieving sexual tension |
3. The main factor influencing the current state of the family and family relations, is the transition of society from the agrarian stage of development to the industrial and post-industrial.
This transition entails the following changes:
Development of two life centers - work and home;
Growth of women's economic independence and their active involvement in labor activity;
Reducing the prestige and influence of religion;
Sexual revolution;
Democratization of marriage and family legislation;
Invention of reliable means of contraception.
Agrarian society is characterized by the traditional model of the family, industrial and post-industrial - modern. The main characteristics of these models are presented in the table.
| traditional family | modern family |
| 1. The kinship-family principle of organizing life, the preponderance of the value of kinship over maximizing the benefits of the individual and over economic efficiency | 1. Kinship is separated from socio-economic activity, yielding primacy to the economic goals of the individual |
| 2. The family household acts as the economic basis of an agrarian society, everyone works at home not for pay, but for themselves | 2. Separation of home and work, the family economy ceases to be the leader |
| 3. Minor psychological differences between family and community | 3. A sharp delimitation of the home and the outside world, family primacy and the impersonality of relations in the outside world |
| 4. Social and geographical mobility is low, sons inherit the status and specialization of their father | 4. High social and geographic mobility |
| 5. Centralized extended family-kinship system with dominance of elders | 5. Decentralized nuclear family |
| 6. Divorce occurs at the initiative of the husband due to the childlessness of the family | 6. Divorce due to interpersonal incompatibility of spouses |
| 7. Patriarchal Family Power Structure | 7. Egalitarian Power Structure |
| 8. "Closed" system of choosing a spouse based on kinship prescriptions and traditions | 8. "Open" system of choosing a spouse based on personal selectivity |
| 9. A culture of having many children with a strict taboo on the prevention and termination of pregnancy | 9. Culture of small children with interference in the reproductive cycle |
Trends in the development of the modern family:
1. Absolute and relative increase in the number of divorces.
2. An increase in the number of children born out of wedlock and brought up in incomplete families.
3. Reducing the average duration of marriage.
4. Postponing the moment of marriage.
5. Increasing the number of people living in free marriage.
6. Reducing the size of the family, reducing the birth rate.
7. Increase in the number of single people who do not marry.
Negative trends in the development of the family institution have given rise to a number of theories that critically examine the future of the family:
1. A pessimistic statement about the decline of the family, which is derived from the opposition of the modern family to the patriarchal family in a traditional society (R. Fletcher).
2. The statement about the inconsistency of the family with modern industrial and post-industrial society with the hope of a possible modification of the family (B.Mor).
3. The family is a brake on the path of social development, since in it children are instilled with views and norms that do not correspond to a rapidly changing reality, they are not able to live in a new environment, they hinder the development of a new one (W. Reich, G. Marcuse).
4. Criticism of the family as a stronghold of rudeness and violence.
5. Feminist criticism of the family as a tool for the oppression of women.
6. Criticism of the family because, more often than other social institutions, it creates the prerequisites for mental illness and unstable mental states.
New (alternative) forms of family and marriage:
1. A marriage contract concluded for a fixed period.
2. Marriage with a three-year probationary period.
3. Group marriage.
4. Serial monogamy.
5. Guest marriage.
6. Homosexual marriage.
7. Life in a commune.
Education as a social institution can be viewed as an organized system of connections and social norms. It brings together important social procedures and norms necessary to meet the basic needs of society.
Any functional institution arises and works, fulfilling a certain need of society.
Certain signs
Consider the main features that characterize education as a social institution:
- attitudes and examples of behavior: the desire for knowledge, attendance at classes;
- cultural symbolic features: songs, emblem, motto;
- utilitarian features: libraries, stadiums, classrooms;
- written and oral code - rules of conduct for students;
- ideological features: progressive education, academic freedom, equality in the learning process.
The main elements are:
- educational institutions in the form of organizations;
- social communities: students and teachers;
- educational process.
The development of education as a social institution presupposes the improvement of all elements of this structure. Only with the timely introduction of changes can we talk about its full development and functioning.
Main types
The sphere of education as a social institution is built according to somewhat different principles. It has several rows of links:
- system of preschool education;
- schooling;
- professional and technical link;
- special secondary education;
- higher educational institutions;
- postgraduate education;
- professional development and retraining of personnel.
Consider the functions of formation of each link. Preschool education involves the formation in the younger generation of diligence, the foundations of good breeding, moral qualities. It is preschool education that is of particular importance for the development of citizenship.
The structure of education as a social institution presupposes the laying of the foundation of personal human qualities at preschool age. Kindergartens have ceased to be banal "places of care" for children, they contribute to the mental, moral, physical development of schoolchildren.
At a time when training was being tested in domestic education from the age of six, kindergartens were engaged in adapting kids to a complex school rhythm, and contributed to the formation of self-service skills in children.
Education as a social institution presupposes the support of preschool education by the state, the readiness of parents to take an active part in the rational organization of extracurricular activities.
At the end of the last century, only half of the children went to kindergartens, which negatively affected the development of communicative qualities in future first-graders.
At present, the education system as a social institution is aimed at the full preparation of all kids for life in society.
The introduction of second-generation standards into Russian preschool educational institutions contributed to the improvement of the content of the educational and educational program.
In kindergartens, teachers began to focus on citizenship, comprehensive education of preschoolers.
The teaching functions of education were transferred to schools.
Currently, teachers are focusing on the study of basic social values, on the guidelines of children and parents, their reaction to the use of innovative educational methods.
School level
This education as a social institution is aimed not only at introducing students to the theoretical foundations of various academic disciplines, but also at helping them choose a profession. By the time of completion of school education, a teenager should stop at one of the options for his life path, occupation, profession.
Education as a social institution is the basis for fulfilling the order of society. For this, significant changes have been made within the framework of general education schools.
Career guidance activities
Ninth-graders are given the right to choose several elective courses as part of pre-profile training. This allows them to get acquainted with the specific features of scientific fields, their applied significance, as well as get acquainted with the world of professions, analyze their demand in the labor market.
Vocational level
As a social institution it is difficult to realize without this stage. It is secondary specialized education that has a direct connection with social needs, is considered an operational and quick form of introduction into the lives of young people.
It is carried out on the basis of large industrial organizations or within the framework of the state education system. Despite attempts to convert the entire Russian system to a combination of special and full-time education, even in our time, vocational training is considered the most important option for obtaining a future profession.
Are science and education related as social institutions? To identify the connection, sociologists need to know the motives of schoolchildren, the effectiveness of the learning process, the role of certain scientific fields in solving the social and economic problems of society.
At present, the issue of the professionalism of specialists is particularly acute, which is why the large-scale reform has affected not only kindergartens and schools, but also vocational schools.
Functions of Education
It is closely connected with various spheres of public life. The implementation of such a relationship is carried out through a person involved in political, economic, social, spiritual ties. Education is the only specialized subsystem of society, the main function of which completely coincides with its needs.
There are different branches and spheres of the economy that produce spiritual and material products, services, and the education system "lets out" a person, influencing his aesthetic, moral, physical, and intellectual development.
This is what testifies to the presence of the leading social function of education - its humanization.
It is an objective need for the development of society, aimed at the individual.
As a method of thinking and a principle of activity, global technocracy and the principle of activity of an industrial society have passed into social relations, have changed the means and ends in places.
Specificity of ideology
A person in our society, who is proclaimed as the highest goal, in reality has turned into a typical "labor resource". This was reflected in the education system, in which the main function of the school was to "prepare for the next life", which meant direct labor activity.
The individuality of each individual person was relegated to the background, only the worker was of value. Since he could always be replaced, the inhumane thesis appeared that "there are no irreplaceable people."
According to this ideology, it turned out that the life of a teenager and a child was not considered a full-fledged life, but was considered as some kind of preparation for future work.
It is this attitude that has led to a negative attitude of society towards the disabled, the elderly. They were considered "waste material" and did not deserve due attention and respect.
The humanistic function of education
At present, there are practically no significant changes in people's attitudes towards older citizens. But the humanistic function of education began to be filled with updated content.
A person began to be considered as a full-fledged participant in the upbringing and educational process. That is why the federal educational standards of the second generation focus on self-development and self-education.
Of particular importance is the laying of the foundations of the physical, moral, intellectual potential of the individual in preschool and primary school age.
The results of psychological research indicate that by the age of nine, a person's intelligence is formed by almost 90 percent.
Modern Institute of Education
The formation of educational communities that are connected by involvement in educational processes and a value attitude to education, as well as their reproduction, is aimed at the socialization of each child.
Education is gradually turning into the main channel of social movement, which has a positive effect on kindergartens and schools.
social selection
In domestic education, breeding of individuals by streams is carried out. This is clearly expressed at the senior level of education. Children can choose a basic (standard) or profile school for those scientific disciplines that they will need in their subsequent socialization.
To help teenagers, special tests are offered, and conversations with child psychologists are held. The proposed test tasks contain a certain cultural context, the understanding of which is characterized by the needs of society.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that education acts as a social institution, in recent years, the relationship between the social position of parents and the educational career of the child has become increasingly visible. The school offers individuals unequal education, unequal development of skills and abilities, which is confirmed by certificates of certain samples. This leads to the fact that already on the school bench there is a social stratification of the younger generation.
It is education that currently forms the professional and qualification composition of the population. On the quantitative side, the educational system is responsible for the training of highly qualified personnel.
If people who do not have certain training get into the profession, this negatively affects the professional structure and leads to a decrease in labor productivity.
There is a destruction within groups, an ambiguity of relations appears, the role of statuses for the social advancement of individuals increases.
In order to avoid such "excesses", a serious reform is being carried out in domestic education. It is aimed at transferring from the traditional system, which assumes the assimilation of only theoretical information by schoolchildren, to the variant of education and training, aimed at maximizing the involvement of the individual in independent activity.
The new standards introduced into the system of Russian preschool and school education meet the needs of society. Special requirements have been developed for the personality of a graduate of a kindergarten, basic and secondary levels, a vocational school, an educational institution of a higher level. This contributes to the optimal socialization of the younger generation, helps them choose the direction of professional activity.
The concept of a social institution
Any society with normal functioning needs social stability, which is ensured by the presence of a generally accepted system of norms, rules and values, including ideals, moral standards, faith, traditions, etc.
The mechanism for ensuring the integrity and stability of society and social structures is a social institution, which is a set of values and norms, with the help of which the management of people's activities in the spheres of life is carried out.
Remark 1
Thus, we can say that a social institution is an organization that satisfies the fundamental needs of society.
We can talk about the effective operation of a social institution subject to certain conditions, namely:
- the presence of a system of social norms and rules that control people's behavior;
- introducing the activities of the institute into the value structure of society, which allows the institute to provide its activities with a legal framework and exercise control over the behavior of members of society;
- availability of resources and conditions for its normal functioning
The essence of the institution of education
For the normal functioning of society and the reproduction of its structure, a social institution of education is necessary. It allows you to transfer the accumulated social experience, knowledge, values, attitudes, ideals from previous generations to the next generation, and also contributes to the assimilation of this knowledge and values by the current generation.
Education as a social institution is an independent system that performs the task of consistent training and education of individuals focused on obtaining certain knowledge, values, skills, norms, the essence of which is determined by society and its characteristics.
Modern sociology distinguishes between formal and non-formal education.
- Formal education includes the presence in society of a system of educational institutions that carry out the function of learning, as well as a state-prescribed educational standard that prescribes the minimum amount of knowledge and skills required by society. The system of formal education depends on the cultural standards and ideology accepted and prioritized in the society.
- Non-formal education is part of the socialization of a person's personality, helping him to master social roles and statuses, norms and values, and also contributes to spiritual development, that is, non-formal education is an unsystematized assimilation of knowledge and skills by a person, mastered by him spontaneously as a result of interaction with the outside world .
Considering education as a social institution, one should speak, first of all, about the institution of formal education.
Functions of education as a social institution
Education performs many functions. Depending on the areas of research, there are various functions, the most common are the following functions:
The spread of culture in society.
This function is to transfer cultural values between generations. Each nation has its own cultural characteristics, so the institution of education is a universal means of transmitting and preserving the cultural traditions of peoples.
Socialization.
The Institute of Education is considered one of the main institutions of socialization, since education forms the worldview of the younger generation. Thanks to the values and attitudes learned in the process of education, the younger generation becomes a part of society, socializes and is involved in the social system.
social selection.
This function implies, through the educational process, the implementation of a different approach to students in order to select the most talented and capable, which allows young people to receive a status that meets their interests and abilities.
Remark 2
Thus, the result of the selective function of education is the distribution of social positions in the social structure of society, and the implementation of this function contributes to social mobility, since obtaining one or another level of education allows you to move higher through the channels of social mobility.
The function of social and cultural change.
This function is carried out through the process of scientific research, scientific achievements that contribute and change the educational process itself, technology, economics, in turn, the educational process also makes changes to the process of scientific research. Thus, one can observe the relationship and interdependence of the educational process and society.
The structure of the education system
The education system is a complex formal organization. It has a hierarchical management system, headed by the apparatus of the ministry.
Below is the departments of education of the regions, which coordinate and manage schools and secondary vocational institutions in the region.
Next comes the leadership of schools and educational institutions of the secondary professional level - rectors, deans, directors and head teachers.
The education system is also characterized by specialization of activities. For example, teachers and professors differ in the subjects they teach. Higher and secondary vocational educational institutions specialize in their professional and educational programs.
There is also a hierarchy of teaching positions in the higher education system.
Remark 3
A feature of education as a system is the standardization of the educational process. Each educational institution carries out its activities in accordance with the mandatory curricula.
The teacher acts as an administrative leader who organizes and manages the learning process in the group.
