INTRODUCTION
Culture is the behavior pattern of
the individual or group. Education is the process by which an individual
modifies his behavior. So there is an intimate relationship between culture and
education.
EDUCATION
Education is a process which draws
out the best in man with the aim of producing a well-balanced personality –
culturally refined, emotionally stable, ethically sound, logically correct,
mentally alert, intellectually competent, technically advanced, morally
upright, physically strong, socially efficient, spiritually mature,
vocationally self-sufficient and internationally liberal. The word education
has a very wide connotation and it is very difficult to give a precise
definition of it. Man is an individual born with certain innate potentialities,
talents, and inherent powers. Education provides opportunities to develop these
inborn potentialities.
DEFINITIONS OF EDUCATION
·
“Education is a natural, progressive and
harmonious development of all the faculties of the individual- head, heart and
hand.”- Pestalozzi
·
“By education I mean, an all-round
drawing out of the best in child and man- body, mind and spirit.”- Gandhiji
·
“Education is the development of all
those capacities in the individual which will enable him to control his
environment and fulfill his responsibilities.”- John Dewey
·
“Education is the manifestation of the
divine perfection already existing in man.”- Swami Vivekananda
·
“Education is the training of the
intellect, refinement of the heart and discipline of the spirit.”- Dr. Radhakrishnan
CULTURE
Culture is a way of life that is learned and shared
by human beings and is by one generation to the next. The learner’s ways of life,
which are modified and passed on from one generation to the next, are called
culture. In the ordinary sense, the term culture is used to refer to tastes in
arts, literature, music and other finer aspects of life. But in sociological
context the term consists of all shared products of human society, which are of
two basic kinds, material and non-material. Material culture consists of all
the artifacts of physical objects created by human beings- wheels, clothing,
schools, factories, cities, books etc. Non-material culture consists of more
abstract creations- languages, ideas, beliefs, rules, customs, myths, skills
etc.
DEFINITIONS OF CULTURE
·
“Culture is
that complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, laws,
customs and other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of the society.”-
E.B Taylor
·
“Culture is
the handwork of man and the medium through which he achieves his ends.”- Malinowski
·
“Culture is
the super organic environment as distinguished from the world of organic or
physical, the world of plants and animals.”-
Spencer
·
“Culture is an
organized body of conventional understanding manifest in art and artifact, which
persisting through tradition, characterizes a human group.”- Redfield
·
“The culture
of a people may be defined as the sum total of the material and intellectual
equipment where by they satisfy their biological and social needs and adapt themselves
to the environment.”- Ralph Piddington
CULTURAL AIMS OF EDUCATION
Culture means something cultivated,
as a result of long experience of the race. The culture of a people includes
their knowledge, beliefs, art, law, mode of communication etc. the main of
education is to preserve, transmit, and transform these qualities and make man
cultured and civilized. One essential and binding feature of human relationship
is to be a man of culture. If education produces such man it has done its job
nicely. Gandhiji attached far more importance to the cultural aspects of
education than to the literacy, and said, “Culture is the foundation, the
primary thing… It should show itself in the smallest detail of your conduct and
personal behavior, how you sit, how you walk, how you dress, and etc. Inner
culture must be reflected in your speech, the way in which you treat visitors
and guests, and behave towards your teachers and elders.”
EDUCATION AND CULTURE
Culture expresses itself through folkways, morals,
customs, laws, religion, institutions, myths and legends. Real education consists
not only the understanding of these elements of culture but in modifying them
on the basis of the ideals and values accepted by the society. Culture is not
inborn in individuals. It is formed as a result of interaction with other
individuals. The preservation, transmission, transformation of culture are made
possible only through education.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EDUCATION AND CULTURE
Culture and Education are mutually interdependent
and each responds to the changes in the other. It is the function of education
not merely to preserve and transmit the best of the past, it must demonstrate
its function in the present as well as its possibilities for the future and
ultimately it must seed to provide a total view of society and its purposes.
a)
Preservation
of culture: culture is an
important aspect of the heritage of any nation. It reflects the level of
civilization attained by the society. Education preserves the historical
monuments, arts, morals, tradition, the value system, customs, beliefs etc.
b)
Transmission
of culture: Through
education the culture of a country is transmitted from one generation to the
other. The society transmits its experiences, desires, hopes and aspirations through
the process of education. Schools and educational institutions are the agencies
to preserve and transmit the traditions, programmes and activities of the
society.
c)
Transformation
of the culture: Any living
being undergoes changes, so does the culture. Every generation adds something
of its own to the existing culture before it is transmitted to the next
generation. It is the function of education to make children adjust themselves
to the contemporary culture and familiarize them with the past.
CONCLUSION
Culture and education are mutually interdependent and
each responds to the changes in other. The preservation, transmission and
transformation of the culture are made possible only through education.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
§ Bhushan
Vidya, Sachdeva D.R. (2004), An
introduction to Sociology, Kitab
Mahal Agencies, Allahabad.
§ Haralambos
M., Heald R.M. (2000), Sociology: Themes
and Perspective, Oxford University Press, New Delhi.
§ Thankachan
T.C. (2012), Philosophical and
Sociological Bases of education, V Publishers, Kottayam.
www.education.com/reference/article/impact-culture-education/