Culture and education are two social phenomena that describe and cultivate society in their own ways. That in itself tells the connection between them. Both provide each other with avenues for growth and discovery. For example, you can seek courses and the best Italian books to learn the language. Or understand how national cultures differ through history and sociology classes. But to better understand the depth of this relationship, it is vital to know each term’s definition.
Culture is a broad term that can be defined in multiple ways. In this context and based on more common knowledge, it pertains to society’s way of life. It encompasses beliefs, traditions, contextualized customs, behavioral patterns, and the art of groups of people. In simpler terms, humanity’s shared experiences shape culture. It reflects and influences people’s perspectives, core values, and the way they respond to things. Culture can be affected by different factors such as ethnic background, geographical location, religion, socioeconomic standing, and gender, among others.
Education
Education refers to modes of transferring knowledge from person to person or from one generation to another. Education roots from collective things learned and discovered in the past. It is a staple way of introducing a person to society and figuring out their role. It is usually attributed to schools and traditional education institutions, but it can also happen in less formal fields. For instance, a farmer passing on their agricultural knowledge to another person is considered education. It is the way humanity collected and preserved knowledge for the succeeding generations to learn.
Way of Transmission and Evolution
Culture is learned. And education is the way to instill this in another person. It is an important tool in preserving culture and allowing future generations to learn its social principles and ideas. The school is a formal agency to learn documented and observed patterns of cultural manifestations. Hence, formal education allows people to dissect these and better comprehend the progression and the motivations behind them.
More importantly, education can identify and resolve lapses with culture. The latter may not always reflect values that provide equal footing and opportunities to all kinds of people. History has shown biases against certain races and minorities. Society is rapidly evolving and every day, people learn what is progressive and better for everyone. And it is through education that people unlearn such prejudice and backward thinking.
In this sense, education also creates an avenue for new and supposedly better cultural patterns. It stacks up more knowledge that society discovers as days go by, thus cultivating culture. Education also readies people to the constant reconstruction of cultural patterns. It equips them with skills to adapt more efficiently to changes.
Advanced Educational Faculties
In the same manner, education is also shaped by cultural reconstruction and exchange. Educators and scholars discover and innovate more ways to collect knowledge and teach other people. For instance, prehistoric people have heavily relied on oral tradition in passing on skills and knowledge. But as time progressed, society has organized and streamlined the process which resulted in formal avenues such as schools. Exams have been established to check a person’s learning progress. For instance, advanced placement exams are standardized exams to evaluate how well you learned you are in a specific course or subject matter. You can even take AP classes to prepare yourself for this.
Nowadays, education can be approached differently due to rapid technological advancements. Resources are readily available and the exchange of ideas can happen any time through online platforms. This allowed people to adjust to the current state of the world as well. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, online classes have been the most convenient way of learning, minimizing health risks for all parties involved.
Conclusion
Culture and education go hand in hand in cultivating each other. Both prevent the stagnation of each other and society as well. With constant innovation, education becomes more effective, and cultural exchange happens more conveniently. People must have the capacity to adjust to the times and be more receptive to change.