Critique of Education: Sociology and Formal Education

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Critical pedagogy is a term used to describe the techniques, strategies, and approaches for teaching and learning. Unfortunately, most kids are not getting the “critical” part of this education. Education has been designed to promote, protect, and perpetuate the status quo. It is designed to keep things the same. Education has a basic goal or function to maintain society as it is right now. It is a society by and for the capitalist class. Education is designed to promote a corporate capitalist class. Teaching our children and students to think critically and scientifically would change things away from the status quo. Suddenly the future of our nation becomes dangerous to corporate capitalists and their way of life. This is known as the formal education and reproduction (hegemony) argument.

Socialization plays a huge role in the reproduction argument. Children are socialized in school and conditioned behaviorally. Growing up in schools we are taught to be silent and do our work, which leads to us being easily manipulated and less likely to speak out against authority. Obedience, such as raising your hand, teaches children and students to be always asking authority for things as biological as going to the bathroom. Children are being taught to be passive, quiet, and conform to rules and standards. They are taught never to disagree with a teacher or ask too many questions. This system of behavioral conditioning has turned students into rule keepers by labeling and out-casting kids who break these rules. Think back to how students treat a particular student that asks too many questions. They are simply trying to learn and are bombarded with mean looks and a flurry of negative things said about that because they are doing someth...

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... the world. If you learn of a problem, you have a duty to do something about it. We can transform society based on the critiques mentioned above. Education can be used as a service and activism. We must transcend the culture of silence. Education can be used as a tool of social justice. If we learn about social issues we sure as hell better stand up against them such as racism, sexism, and homophobia. Education as a whole can be used as an empowerment of the people. We can use education to inform the people to make their own decisions and break away from the brainwashing that is happening every day. All in all a properly educated person is not only dangerous and can help break this “reproduction of the status quo” but they understand that they have a responsibility to better their community. There is most definitely a positive outlook if we can make the change.

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