The Learning Society and Learning Identities - Essay Example

The Learning Society and Learning Identities This analysis is regarding my learning history and trajectory and the various factors that have created my life as a learner in modern Saudi Arabian Society. I grew up in a society that valued compulsory education but an individual may not have the right to go beyond that point unless they were living in the middle of Saudi Arabia. The way I grew up has shaped the way I look at education and my working life. The major factor that made me come back to school was because I saw that my skills were out of date. I think that the Conflict Sociologist's point of view is the best one to describe my experience. I will show how my learning was shaped through this theory and then show how my return to school impacted reflexive modernism, globalization and the learning society have had on me as I came back to school to get a Master's degree. My Learning History I started school in compulsory education which was mandatory for every school child when they reached the legal age of six. Because I came from the "wrong" side of Saudi Arabia, I can see as I look back how in some sense it was like the way that Connell (2003) talked about working class families. Connell states that the state-funded schools and working class communities had a relationship that has created problems of social justice (p. 1). I came back to formal study because I knew that I needed to upgrade my skills. Some of the factors that brought me back to university beyond my need to upgrade skills included a change in the style of education in the schools that required teachers to be more computer literate, I want to move into a management position to improve my income. Analysis of Learning History My education has been difficult at times because in my high school years I found education to be very boring. I did not like school because I had difficulty with English and Arabic as well as physics. It was mandatory that all Saudi's seek knowledge and school was supposed to help us do this but the government controlled what we were taught. The Conflict Theory reflects how my learning went because it suggests that a society define social groups as to "social class, gender, race, and age" and that depending on where one fits in these issues, they have access to education, healthcare and other services (Allen, 2001, p. 6). Conflict Theorists point out that an individual in a society comes into conflict when there is a subordinate group. This is true for me because I had to go back to university in order to have the necessary background to get a good job In those early years it is important to note that the government did then and still does determine what is right for us to learn. Since it is mostly Muslim it is the "duty" of all Muslims to learn and be educated and most of it is religious training. I did not feel that I was getting a total education in some respects because the teachers could only teach what they were supposed to teach -- that is, what the government would allow them to teach. The teachers controlled the pace and the sequence of the learning and we had to be on top of that situation. Teachers were the most important aspect of the curriculum and they were supposed to teach us. Becker (1993) suggests that the most important "human capital" is education and training. I would say that knowledge was firmly framed but around religion. In every aspect of our life we had to learn about religion. As an example, sociology, psychology, economics and other subjects have an aspect of religion in them. In other words, we were taught within a strong framework where Islam was first and the other teachings were secondary. We understood what we were supposed to do because it was ingrained in us from the very beginning of our education. Jureidini, Kenny, & Poole (2003) suggests the idea of structural functionalism where the understanding of a social phenomenon is understood through understanding how each part of a society effects the whole (p. 3). Our school system was such an entity because we had to understand each aspect of our lessons in order to understand the greatness of Islam. We had to do a lot of memorization because it was mandatory that we could speak about Islam to anyone. All schools use the same curriculum. This means that everyone whether they are male or female, receives the same instruction, textbooks and evaluations so that our education was consistent with what the government required. Assessments are difficult and when you are a student who does not do well in certain subjects, your self-esteem is at risk. According to Singh (2002), Bernstein's pedagogic device is how knowledge is brought into conversation so that people can learn it and remember it (p. 2). Daniels (2004) argues that activity theory is also relevant to Bernstein's theory because it gives an understanding of how humans communicate and he brings an understanding that people are always communication in such a way that they sometimes mediate each other's conversations. He states that "language is always overpopulated by the intentions of others'" and this is a cause for mediation as they continue their course (p. 124). This being the case, in education this means that the teacher is the one who mediates between the learning and the understanding of students. If the teacher does this job well, the student will retain the information that the need for their assessment and beyond. Globalisation, Life Long Learning, The Learning Society and Reflexive Modernalisation It is very important for a learner today to understand that learning is not only limited to where they live or what they do for a living. Instead, it is a global affair. Students have to understand how globalisation is going to work with the future of work. I am coming back to university because I am in the teaching profession and I want to receive a master's degree to upgrade my skills. I want to get out of teaching eventually and go into management. With new management skills it will be very important for me to understand how globalisation works for me. Romano and Dellow (2009) suggest that "globalisation and technological change will continue to eliminate some jobs and create others, generating a need for skilled, flexible workers with a global perspective" (p. 11). This says to me that my need to upgrade my computer and Internet skills will prepare me for the global marketplace. One of my goals is to improve my income through transition to another level in management which means that I will need to understand globalisation in order to accomplish this goal. Romano and Dellow also state that certain products will be obsolete and others will be new and innovative; employers will be looking for those people who are innovative and can bring these new products to the marketplace, but to get there an individual will need to continue their education continuously (p. 12). Surugue (2009) suggests that it is difficult for a business not to go global today because the world is larger and more open to possibilities. She speaks to the 'free circulation of persons' based on their education and training. She suggests that people are more readily available to go to different countries to learn new skills, particularly because of the Internet. My intention then to be able to move forward with my career will involve getting to know the Internet very well so that I can make my transition easier. Lifelong learning is important to me because it is the only way that anyone is going to continue to have a livelihood in this world. Since most jobs can now go global and education has already gone to this place, life long learning has to be a part of every worker's career whether they like it or not. As Field (2006) points out, most people are already going to university in some capacity because they want to further their knowledge: 'Virtually every citizen has become a 'permanently learning subject throughout their whole life' (p. 45). It is very important for an individual to continue learning so that they do not become stagnant. I have found that some of my university classes are actually very interesting and this leads me to more education. I think that as time goes on, I would look towards other types of learning beyond the classroom so that I have a well rounded idea of the world. In many classes, one gets the opportunity to work with a variety of different cultures which for me has been a very rewarding situation because I tend to think only in my small area. Adults are coming back to university because it is the right thing for them to do. Field's article points out that adults are coming back for a variety of reasons and that there are not as many young people who are going there. Some people choose not to participate but we are indeed living in a learning society. The way that we know that we are living in a learning society is the fact that everyone is doing something to learn. Whether it is a formal class at the university, a correspondence course or a class within the community to learn something new, people are investing in many different types of learning. Field states that there is a 'new education' and that it has taken on 'new forms and new purposes' (p. 55). This new education is helping people form their own ideas and choose what they basically need to do for their lives. To me, this is what a learning society is and people pursue it as they need to make changes in their lives. Edwards, Miller et al. (2002) suggest that life long learning is a way of social control but I also feel that it can be empowering. When I came back to university and I began to do well in my coursework, I felt empowered. I knew that through this learning I would be able to move forward with my life. Edwards and Miller suggest that education must meet the needs of the employer. The challenge is that if the employer is always moving forward, then the individual employees must do the same. If we are only looking at the traditional workforce, then I would say that we are looking towards social control: training and education that is based upon an employer is to keep the status quo. Edwards and Miller also poke holes in Becker's idea of human capital because it does not give an idea of the 'relationship between education and economics' (p. 177). They suggest that this idea puts the concept of learning accounts though it is a good idea, puts the burden on the student to remain employable instead of the other way around, but they do not have the power to break down the barriers that may be difficult for them to get a job (p. 178). Society is changing and there is no doubt that we will not be sure where it will end up. Because it is change, it affects the cultures and the economy and it means that we need computer skills. Understanding this has been difficult for me to an extent because I have been behind in my computer skills. Morgan-Klein and Osborn (2007) remind us that we have to take into consideration different learning styles. This does not only mean those styles that we are used to but also those for people from different countries that are working and learning together. Learning is becoming more modernilised which means that teachers have to be open and flexible to new ideas and strategies. Field says that an individual has to be reflexive and they have to continually revise their strategies when circumstances change. It is important for the learner to be able to do the same thing. I attempt to be reflexive and open to new possibilities. The changes in the world are bringing about an uncertain time if an individual does not return to school. Fuller (2007) suggests that the reflexive theories are important to this process. In essence, these theories state that 'people are active agents' and because they are they are not satisfied only to upgrade skills because they are warranted but they understand that this is part of what they need to do within a changing society (p. 4). Fuller also states that individualisation moves people towards reflexive modernisation because it gives them more choice in what they do. For me, it is imperative to always grow my skills so that I can be in the best position to create the career that I want for a lifetime. In creating this change through education, I find myself always placed within the learning society. Morgan-Klein and Osborn (2007) further explain this concept by referring to the relevance of identity in looking at the social structure. Because people are ageing and more adults are returning to the workplace, they suggest that it is important to understand the social constructs of older adults in order to accommodate their learning more effectively. I agree that this is important and online learning allows the older adult to come to college easier than having to go into a classroom all of the time. Kristensson Uggla (2008) argues that life-long learning encapsulates all learning activities and quotes the European Commission of 2001: 'life-long learning is focused on all learning activity undertaken throughout life, with the aim of improving knowledge, skills and competence, within a personal, civic, social and/or employment-related perspective' (p. 213). This emphasises the fact that an individual must have the flexibility to understand when they need to approach school again and how to express that need. Today, flexibility is more important because people need to keep up with the fast pace of a changing world. I can relate to this because getting more education is a necessary function of my life because without it, I cannot move forward into management. I see it as a way for me to empower myself. Conclusion When I first began my education the factors that were present for me in learning was the fact that it was something mandatory that I had to do. I did not look at it as something that I would do for my entire life. I had to get through classes because it was what was expected of me and at that time I had no choice. Today, I am involved with my own learning under my own circumstances. The factors that motivate me today are different because I am an adult and I understand the importance of education. My motivating factors include the fact that I need to be highly skilled in technology to go into management. References Allen, J. (2001). Sociology of education: possibilities and practices. Katoomba, N.S.W. : Social Science Press. I Ch. 1. Walker, K. & Loughland, T. "Is this a recipe book? : an introduction to social theory", pp. 3-15. Becker, G.S. (1993). Human Capital : A theoretical and empirical analysis, with special reference to education. 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