What is culture? Discuss the Relationship between Education and Culture?
Back to: Sociological Foundation of Education Unit 2
What is Culture? Discuss the Relationship between Education and Culture?
Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, surrounding theirvalues, belief, attitudes, religion, language, social habits, food, music and arts. Culture is a way of life for an entire society. The term culture has been derived from the Latin word “cultura” stemming from colere meaning “to cultivate”.
As Cristina De Rossi said,
“Culture encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language, marriage, music, what we believe is right or wrong, how we sit at the table, how we greet visitors, how we behave with loved ones and a million other thing”.
According to Edward Bernadette Taylor,
“Culture . . . is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society”.
James Spradley stated,
“Culture is the acquired knowledge people use to interpret experience and generate behaviour”.
Relationship between Education and Culture
- i. Education and culture are closely connected and dependent on each other. Any educational pattern gets its guidance from the cultural patterns of a society.
- ii. Education is essential for preserving the culture of a society. Teaching younger generations about the morals, values, traditions and lifestyles of a society will help to preserve its culture and keep it alive through the years.
- iii. The goals of education is conditioned by the cultural ideals, values and patterns of a society. The educational curriculum of a society is determined by the cultural values of that society.
- iv. The cultural patterns of a society exert powerful influence upon the methods of teaching.
- v. Cultural values also influences and instils discipline in students.
- vi. When the lessons being taught in the classroom is more relevant with a student’s culture, they be more interested and attentive in the lesson.
- vii. Education needs to recognise and acknowledge each person’s culture so that every student feels included. By doing this, children will understand each other’s culture and appreciate it.
- viii. Understanding one another’s culture helps in promoting diversity and children will feel more connected with each other.
Conclusion
The relationship between culture and education is an important one. The two are intimately and integrally connected. A school curriculum should always promote diversity for students of all cultures to feel included and appreciated.The culture of a society has its inevitable impact on its educational system. Whatever we learn through education is immensely influenced by culture.
