Should Education Promote Cultural Identity or Shared Values - Essay Example

Should education promote cultural identity or shared values? Is it possible to do both? Critically consider the arguments The need for being educatedruns deep within any society of the world. This is because education lays the foundation stone for many significant things in the future. It is the basis of managing personal and professional lives, and constantly holding on to the reigns of everyday domains. Education and literacy are used interchangeably here since both of these tenets discuss some of the more salient points under the related settings. Education resolves all ambiguities that might exist within an individual as it is the basis for understanding the right and the wrong, the correct and the incorrect, the truth and false - immensely significant realisms that deem necessary attention. Education makes a man refined from every sense. It turns his illiterate undertakings into literate skills. It turns his weaknesses into strengths and much more than that. Even though this might seem a challenge, education is here to stay since it continually defies the odds and takes care of all problems no matter how big they are. This paper takes a keen look as to how education has been the key over the years and how it has turned a leaf every now and then when the concentration is paid on forming a link between cultural identity and shared values. Now how these cultural identity and shared values are comprehended within the related scheme of things is an important manifestation, and one that deserves the required attention (Collins 2013). Onus is on being educated and allowing others to feel the difference as well, as education is the torchbearer to guarantee success. The role of education within this day and age has become increasingly important. It is the basis of education that instills confidence amongst the people. It gives them the necessary tools to get the job done, no matter how trying or hard it is. Education allows the people to learn something new by gaining knowledge which will be of use to them, if not currently, then certainly in the future. This is the reason why educationists are always on the lookout for breaking new grounds and unfurling ideas that shall exponentially increase their acumen. The educationists understand these roles and this is the reason why this subject is appreciated by just about everyone. Education is here to stay and it will not be able to change the due course which is set for this field. Having said that education opens the pathways that stand in the way of achieving success. This is the basis of knowing where anomalies might lie and how these shall be shaped up within the relevant dynamics (Zuber-Skerritt 2005). Hence the role of education within the present era is of importance and there cannot be any two opinions in the light of the same. This is defined by the educationists, teachers, instructors, learning facilitators and anyone who is associated with the field of education in one form or the other. It is for this reason that every child still goes to school when he is young and is encouraged by his parents from day one. It is this manner that is supported by peers and colleagues of the parents as well as their friends and other acquaintances. What education brings forward is a sense of participation by the people who are under its tenets. It gives them the energy to make a difference, not only within their lives but also within the lives of the people to whom they are connected. It paves the way for growth and development which are much needed aspects for any individual. He sees education as being the essential element for actively engaging him towards a set goal or objective. Education takes care of nearly all the issues that engulf his life and pose as a problem. It is due to this reason that education is appreciated by just about everyone as it ties in the cultural identity talks and the related shared values. It allows for understanding to get developed in a proactive fashion and asks of the people to be fair within their discourse. Education is the source of light that connects cultures and documents the real essence of shared values. It asks of the people to remain true to their fore and keep on showcasing what is comprised within their folds. This is the reason why many cultural actors and forces look up to educational domains to get the job done and hence pave the way for further growth, development and advancements that keep on happening consistently. Education holds the key because it has the power to change forces, manifest success and defy failures in the heat of the moment. It links people from varied backgrounds and settings, and meshes them properly so that the end result is nothing else but accomplishment. Research in education and its related fields has always centered on the premise of bringing forward areas of similar interest for both the educating concerns and the educated parties. This resolves any mysteries that exist amongst the fore of the teachers and the students. Having said that it is easier to come to a single platform when the vision is to impart education and to learn something new. This allows the different notions to get manifested easily and hence equality of thoughts is also ensured. In this day and age, this might seem somewhat improbable because cultural identities and shared values take the front seat and hence demand their fair share within the educational concerns. This is the basis of finding out where anomalies actually lie and what exactly can be done to thwart away the same. The basis of cultural interactions depends on how literate the personalities are and how open they are to the sharing of values because it comprises of these tenets before delving deep further within the several curricula. The basis of interaction and proper communication is governed by an understanding to reach the top and bring about a change - a change which is fundamental to the rights of both men and women, and any adults that would deem it necessary to be educated and hence grow and develop their relevant basis. This will help the society as a whole and allow its other members to feel good about their own selves. It applies to just about everyone under the aegis of the society. Education promotes both cultural identity and shared values. One cannot single out one of the two entities. The reason for this is that both the cultural identity and shared values look after the societal regimes where education is the essential key. Education gives the people a sense of freedom that they would never realize about, and hence there would not be any basis for cultural adaptations and shared value hierarchies. This is the reason why education allows the people to look beyond the obvious and explore what is hidden to them. They tend to see things through without any difficulties and explore their norms in relation to how the world offers them a vision. The cultural identity is a facet that gives a commoner a chance to truly express his own self through interactions, communication mechanisms and relativism - all of which form up as the vital ingredients of bringing about a positive change within his demeanor (Minkes 2010). There cannot be any two opinions under such headings because cultural identity takes a keen look at how people are built and how their related settings are judged according to the people who may or may not be a part of the same cultural hierarchies. The onus for doing it right falls on the shoulders of the people who have education within their auspices since they are the ones who call the shots and make the decisions - for the betterment of the people at large. They are answerable and accountable for all their actions. How education paves the way for cultural identity is significant to understand. Cultural identity and its related basis can be studied in-depth when education is instilled properly within the children of today. When they are told of the positives that come about with the incorporation of education, they connect with each other in a natural fashion. When they are unaware of the same settings, problems seem to arise, and hence this is the basis of many difficulties that the children might encounter in the coming times. One must remember that these issues have to be resolved at all times, and that culture remains the key ingredient for tying together people from different backgrounds and cultural settings. When students interact and communicate with others who are either from different cultural backgrounds or settings, their exposure grows as a result of the same (Woods 2014). They try to understand what the other person is saying and how this comes about. They are doing their utmost to make sure that they are in close association with these diverse mix of people because it will mean identification of different cultural aspects and facets, which may not have been possible if they interacted with the people of their own communities. This diversity allows them to see things through and find out where anomalies may lie. Also solutions are devised to explain the related basis of growth and development - a fact that is openly advocated for time and again. This showcases how cultural identity can act as a potent force if used wisely under the realms of education. Same is the case with the shared values. These shared values run deep within any society or community of the world. They are overseen by actors that have a major influence over the reins of management, business and similar undertakings. Education promotes shared values because it gives these values a chance to manifest their truest selves. It allows the learners to know how people from different backgrounds and communities can tie in with one another and learn new trades as well as basically explore their related similarities and differences (Frankel 2006). The shared values look at the similar zones where much more growth, advancements and development can be discerned, analyzed and later on executed for the overall betterment of just about everyone. Education promotes shared values because it forms the vital link to make it happen. There is a definitive basis upon which shared values are presented to the people because they comprise of small aspects which may be of importance to people from other communities and settings. There is immense learning embedded within each of these shared values as has been found with the advent of time (Dalrymple 2003). The need is to comprehend where the learners have to find a way to analyze what exactly qualifies as a shared value and what cannot be regarded as such. When this takes place, many difficulties automatically seem to resolve and hence understanding is reached which signifies the basis of knowing one another and discussing those aspects that are essentially common and deemed as shared amongst them. This commonality helps everyone to grow and develop in the long run. Arguing whether education can bring much more than the promotion of cultural identity and shared values is something that furthers this debate. And there is good evidence available to take it forward even more. Since the cultural identity and shared values are two of the most potent factors behind being educated, there are similar pointers that come to the fore with even more research and practice (Bordia 2008). The need is to understand how it applies to the people in different societies of the world. One such surrounds the understanding of giving space to one another and respecting each others domains so that there is more tolerance that can be cultivated in this world. Then there is the important talk of rationalizing aspects which might not have been possible if there were issues on a global level amongst the people. Education promotes quite a few tangents but what remains significant under such constructs is the willingness of the learners to make it happen within their respective life domains. When this realization is achieved, the execution is waiting to happen, and that too in a successful manner. Hence the argument that if education has the power within it to touch new dimensions of human interaction and understanding, one can easily deduce that this power is exerted by the various facets that education has within it. They cannot be denied their due right since immense research and evidence has proven this with the passage of time. Much more will be explored in the coming days and times as education has within it areas of interest and comprehension for the varied people of this world. Choosing between the promotion of cultural identity and shared values on the part of education would seem like a difficult thing to do because both are primarily essential. However, for the sake of this paper, equal significance is paid upon both of these tangents, primarily because both come up with the important outcomes that education is looking forward to receiving in the long run. This equal basis is important because it dictates how well education understands their respective roles, and then goes ahead and dictates the anomalies that have to be removed for bringing in harmony and success. This equality takes care of the concerns that educators and learners alike have on a number of varying tangents (Hall 2011). The equal significance for both the cultural identity and shared values is also deemed as important because it addresses the need to connect the same with the norms of the people and how they term education as significant for their respective realms. Education holds the fort for these people because it gives them a sense of knowing what may perhaps be unknown to others. This is a very crucial aspect that has been researched upon back and forth so as to understand what education can do for the betterment of an individual and where problems may lie in essence. Again, cultural identity and shared values stand out as some of the most potent facets that education turns its basis upon. The need is to underline the exact need for promotion of varied factors which are there as a result of the benefits that come along with education in the present times as far as the advancing world is concerned. A participative culture of identification and shared values will win many hearts all over the globe. This is because education takes care of a number of aspects that would otherwise seem difficult to manage. This has also been researched time and again, and the results seem to suggest the very same. There is indeed no substitute for education as has been proven with the passage of time. Education is the eventual basis for attaining success both from a short term perspective as well as strategically. The onus falls upon the people who believe in this positive change and make it happen. Those who do not believe in education lag far behind and they are themselves to be blamed for not understanding the true value of education and indeed time. Their parents and/or guardians need to find out where the anomalies lie and make amends at the earliest. If this does not come about in a fair enough manner, there will be problems all around and no one shall be blamed. For any dignified society in this world, the need is to contemplate the exact basis of education and how it can be manifested so that the fruits of hard work, commitment and dedication can be had by all concerned. The inmates of any developed society need to find out where they might be going wrong and what corrective steps are required on their part to make sure that the coming generations analyze and decide for their own selves what is more quintessential. There is indeed no substitute for education as has been realized by people from the yesteryears. Those who did not bring success upon themselves basically lacked in education and they are themselves to be blamed for it. In the end, it would be fair to acknowledge the role of education as it not only promotes the cultural identity ideologies but also manages shared values amongst the realms of the society. All said and done, both cultural identity and shared values are promoted by education and one cannot single out one of these two. This paper has made it certain that education plays its due role where it is needed and how cultural identity and shared values are explored upon remain significantly drawn. Bibliography Bordia, S., 2008. Emerging Issues in International Education in Business Contexts. Journal of International Education in Business, 1(1) Collins, J., 2013. Knowledge Transfer, Educational Change and the History of Education: New Theoretical Frameworks. History of Education Review, 42(2) Dalrymple, J., 2003. Developing Alternative Perspectives for Quality in Higher Education. International Journal of Educational Management, 17(3) Frankel, M., 2006. Too Much of a Good Thing? Values in Leadership for Educational Organizations. International Journal of Educational Management, 20(7) Hall, R., 2011. Towards a Resilient Strategy for Technology-Enhanced Learning. Campus-Wide Information Systems, 28(4) Minkes, L., 2010. On the Nature of Learning Communities: A Study of Four Organizations. Journal of Management Development, 29(9) Woods, D., 2014. The Teacher in Me: Exploring Preservice Teacher Identity through Self-Portraits. Journal for Multicultural Education, 8(2) Zuber-Skerritt, O., 2005. A Model of Values and Actions for Personal Knowledge Management. Journal of Workplace Learning, 17(1/2) Read More