The Social Context of Education

Govoriti o odgoju i obrazovanju znači promatrati ih u kontekstu društva a njihove promjene u kontekstu društvenih promjena. Pod društvenim kontekstom podrazumijevamo obilježja društva kao što su: socijalna struktura društva (sistema), brzina društvenih promjena, raspolaganja društvenom moći, sustav vrijednosti, modernizacija škole, globalni društveni kontekst itd. i njihov utjecaj na obrazovne promjene. Odnos društva i obrazovanja nije politički problem, iako se tako prezentira kao pitanje obrazovnih reformi, nego je u biti sociokulturni problem kao problem razvoja društva. To znači da se ciljevi promjena u obrazovanju definiraju u kontekstu ciljeva društva. Za promjene u obrazovanju važno je utvrditi društvena očekivanja utjecaja obrazovanja na društvo kao i na mlade. U predmodernim društvima glavni cilj odgoja i obrazovanja bio je uklapanje mlade populacije u društvo i prilagođavanje društvu. Dakle, kulturna reprodukcija samoga društva. Kao društva s niskim i sporim stupnjem promjena imala su i niske (skromne) zahtjeve za promjenama (reformiranjem obrazovanja). Moderno društvo, pogotovo ono na današnjem stupnju razvoja, proživljava brze promjene i zahtijeva obrazovanja koje će više ubrzati društvene promjene, poglavito one koje omogućavaju brži razvoj u društvu i društva u cjelini te osposobiti generacije za aktivnu ulogu u društvu. Ako društvo shvaćamo kao stalnu promjenu socijalnih odnosa i struktura, onda su i obrazovne promjene (reforme) permanentno društvena potreba. U prilogu se govori o nekim obilježjima i promjenama društva te utjecaju na obilježja obrazovanja, ali i na kulturne promjene.Education may not be analyzed without studying the social context; similarly, educational reform may not be examined without a better understanding of the context of social changes. Social context is defined as a set of social characteristics, such as: key social changes and the speed thereof; value systems within a society; impact of society as a system on education as one of its subsystems. The relationship between society and education is not a political one, even though it is often portrayed as such, especially when the emphasis is placed on the issue of educational reform. It is rather a socio-cultural problem, connected to the issues surrounding social development. Therefore, the goals of educational reform must be defined within the wider context of social goals. In order to conduct changes in education, it is important to define what the society expects from education. In premodern societies, the main goal of upbringing and education was to socialize young people into the wider society. In other words: social reproduction. Being of a low and slow level of change, they had a low-level demand for educational reforms as well. Modern societies, and especially highly developed contemporary ones, undergo fast changes and demand education that will accelerate social changes and enable a more rapid development within certain areas of the society, as well as the society as a whole. If society is understood as a place of constant change in social relations and structures, then educational changes (reforms) ought to be considered a permanent and crucial aspect thereof. We will further discuss several social characteristics and changes, as well as the impact of those changes on both education and culture