Culture Influences Education
Culture influences education
We always talk about the importance of education and its impact on our culture, but seldom think about how culture affects our educational system. We often ignore the fact that ethnics, customs and traditions deeply affect education. Culture and education are actually tightly bound entities and hence cannot be separated from each other. Before we further investigate into the cultural influences on children’s learning and education, I think it is better to figure out what is culture, what culture includes. From Webster’s Dictionary, the word “culture” has 6 definitions relating to human activities. 1. Artistic and intellectual pursuits and products. 2. A quality of enlightenment or refinement arising from an acquaintance with and concern for what is regarded as excellent in the arts, letters, manners, etc. 3. Development or improvement of the mind by education or training. 4. The sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another. 5. A particular form or stage of civilization, as that of a nation or period. 6. The behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group. While according to wikipedia, the term “culture” was first developed to refer to the betterment or refinement of the individual, especially through education, and then to the fulfillment of national aspirations or ideals in the 19th century. As we can see, culture has a long history relating to human learning and education, as well as development in various aspects such as language, tradition, religion etc. The learning of culture, like the learning of language, begins with a child’s first experiences with the family from which he is born, the community to which he belongs, and the environment in which he lives. By the time children begin their formal education at the age of five or six, they have already internalized many of the basic values and beliefs of their native
We always talk about the importance of education and its impact on our culture, but seldom think about how culture affects our educational system. We often ignore the fact that ethnics, customs and traditions deeply affect education. Culture and education are actually tightly bound entities and hence cannot be separated from each other. Before we further investigate into the cultural influences on children’s learning and education, I think it is better to figure out what is culture, what culture includes. From Webster’s Dictionary, the word “culture” has 6 definitions relating to human activities. 1. Artistic and intellectual pursuits and products. 2. A quality of enlightenment or refinement arising from an acquaintance with and concern for what is regarded as excellent in the arts, letters, manners, etc. 3. Development or improvement of the mind by education or training. 4. The sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another. 5. A particular form or stage of civilization, as that of a nation or period. 6. The behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group. While according to wikipedia, the term “culture” was first developed to refer to the betterment or refinement of the individual, especially through education, and then to the fulfillment of national aspirations or ideals in the 19th century. As we can see, culture has a long history relating to human learning and education, as well as development in various aspects such as language, tradition, religion etc. The learning of culture, like the learning of language, begins with a child’s first experiences with the family from which he is born, the community to which he belongs, and the environment in which he lives. By the time children begin their formal education at the age of five or six, they have already internalized many of the basic values and beliefs of their native
References: Culture. (1997). In Webster’s universal college dictionary(199,1997). Gramercy Books. Saville-Troike, M. (1978). Culture in the Classroom. National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education, 1-48. The Impact of Culture on Education. Retrieved November 17th from http://www.education.com/ Society 's Influence on Education. Retrieved November 17th from http://www.buzzie.com/ Understanding Society Influence on Education. Retrieved November 17th from http://influence.bafree.net/ www.wikipedia.com