Globalization is a process whereby local communities interact
in a world wide scale. This allows
governments, companies and institutions to be interconnected in a global
capitalist system. Through
globalization, entities can share scientific technical knowledge and unite
forces to challenge hegemony. In this,
democratic reform can be brought about.
The erosion of national boundaries increases the flow of people, capital
and goods as well. With pertinence to
comparative education, social progress could be made as there are more
resources to be able to take advantage of.
Comparative and international education is understood under the
scientific, pragmatic and the international/ global dimensions.
The scientific dimension explains how all sciences are comparative. This contributes to theory building. Mark Bray and Murray Thomas explains that
comparison allows researchers to view the world as a laboratory. This allows researchers to draw conclusions
and multiple ways of doing things.
Moreover, it allows researchers to be able to include in societal
factors, educational policies and practices to what it is they are researching
(Arnove R., et al, 2012). This view has
allowed researchers to determine that the best educational investment a country
can fulfil is the primary level. This
was done through calculating the rate-of-return. This analysis specifies that those with
primary education can more quickly assimilate to society. Through primary education, these people can
become part of the work force because they have been given the basic skills
required to preform in society. The
scientific dimension also looks at income inequality and poverty rates. There is a link that these strongly influence
academic achievement. Those with higher
income do better in school. The value of
gathering data allows policy makers to be able to foresee educational outcomes
and develop policy around these theories.
The pragmatic dimension looks at the practical application of
education. The study of other education
systems allows policy makers to be able to improve policy at home. Through the transfer of educational
practices, countries can increase efficiency.
These policies must be catered to the country they are being implemented
in as policy makers can’t just take one policy from another country and expect
it to flourish in their own. Many
factors go into the implementation of these policies such as income and type of
government. It is important to note that
educational systems reflect their societies tensions. Therefore, it is important to consider history
and traditions. The consensus is there
is not a one best system but rather all systems have their strengths and
weaknesses.
The global dimension looks at educational systems
contributing to international peace.
Educational systems teach values and many countries have different
values. Values education allows
educators to teach that the world has many different ways which therefore
reflects the diversity found within it.
There are many equally valid responses to the problems of the world
which education enlightens people with.
The study within the global dimension provides insight to issues
affecting humanity such as poverty, disease, weapons of mass destruction and
etc.
When viewing education, it is necessary to understand its
currency, that is language. Without
language, people would have no means to be able to communicate let alone
educate or even socialize. Language is
the primary means by which education is delivered. The dominance of the English language as a
forum by which academics is being delivered is being challenged by various
languages such as Chinese, Spanish and Russian.
Through multiple languages, there is a growing body of knowledge that
becomes stockpiled. Academics can access
this knowledge and use it for their benefit and thus the benefit of their loved
ones, the neighbor, the community and thus the country. Through globalization a dialogue of
civilizations has been created. This
challenges cultural hegemony and serves to innovate the way things are done
locally. Education from this view can be
used as an instrument of social justice or as a commodity to exploit.
Academics have institutional, individual independence and
self regulation. They have done this
through the influence of their methods and ideologies. Through universities academics become the
enforcer of truths in the guise of universal validity. Contemporary education has its roots in colonialism. The objective was to educate or make affluent
the colonized countries so they more closely resemble the colonizer thereby
rejecting local customs. Education
became a privilege for the small elite but in contemporary times has become a
necessity. Mass education today serves
to socially control the population. The
adoption of mass education is a result of the global diffusion of Western
cultural values (Arnove R., et al, 2012).
Through education, economic progress could be ascertained. In Post World War II, education was the tool
by which to rebuild countries chattered by war.
Foreign assistance in the form of aid became available which countries
had to meet certain economic policies in order to be able to gain this
assistance. In contemporary times aid is
provided to third world countries which perhaps may have become dependent on
the aid provided by the United Nations.
In March 1990 it was declared via the World Bank that countries plan for
a world that education is available to everyone on the planet. This initiative was enacted based on the
human capital theory. Through this
academics sought to regard education as an investment in developing a countries
human resources.
The state is where confrontation and conflict occur. It reflects the struggles and tensions of
social forces. It is an administrative
system reflecting collective institutional rules, regulations and
conventions. The expansion and
diversification of education is rooted to states that resemble the welfare
state. Through the collective
governments are able to restructure. The
collective creates social movements in order to affect the government
apparatus. Governments are then tasked
with the erroneous task of maintaining social order. Neoliberal governments advocate for open
markets, free trade reduced state intervention in the economy and are pro
business. This is when education becomes
a commodity. Education as mentioned
earlier can either be used for social justice or be sold for private
interests. It is necessary to note that both
occur in the contemporary world.
Social movements can be defined as collective action and
behavior. Social movements challenge
existing institutional and cultural norms.
This is how society changes.
Through a common interest and identity the group is able to ascertain
power which is the threat of mobilization.
There are three ways that social movements are looked at in the
text. First the classic pluralism view
which specifies that society is composed of various groups with various
motivation where the state acts to regulate them. These groups compete against one another to
ascertain the collective interest and mobilization thereafter. Second there is the view of the elitist. This view describes that social movements are
a sign that the state has compromised power.
It thinks that with the presence of social movements, the state has a
deficiency or weakness in its execution.
Lastly the classic Marxist perspective on the matter views the state as
an apparatus for class power. This is
then challenged by class based movements.
States and social movements require greater attention. In the past there has been neglect on this
matter. The reason this requires more
attention is that educational practices have been the basis for social
movements causing people to mobilize.
Moreover, the universities become the site of social movement
activities. And lastly these people are
capable of collective action (Arnove R., et al, 2012). Martin Carnoy and Henry Levins created the
social conflict theory in order to link the state, social movements and
education. They say social movements
play a significant role in affecting educational policy. This educational policy then affects the
state through collective action. Social
movements challenge the way academics understand policy making and educational
reform.
In looking at social movements, it is important to also look
at culture. Culture is concerned with
tradition of shared values, beliefs and morals.
Enculturation is the process whereby one person learns to act within a
cultural group. While socialization
refers to the general process of learning human culture (Arnove R., et al, 2012). Education has a cultural aspect in which
people learn information transferred from both their society and different
societies in a global world which therefore is retrieved from cultural
history. These are then formalized and
standardized to be taught in schools.
With all this consideration of globalization, social
movements and culture, it now becomes evident that these states are all
amicably competing to be the, “survival of the fittest.” Evolutionism is the concept whereby humans
are constantly changing and progressing to ascertain perfectibility. Through evolution, education is seen as a
primary force by which progress could be gained. In history colonial education was used to
enculturate the indigenous and the locals to the mindset of the men of the
colonizer. Through a three part process
of exploitation, fragmentation and penetration, the dominant countries came to
colonize smaller countries. Education
has been used as a tool to both advance and subjugate others. It is therefore a double edged sword to be
used by that who wields the ability to decipher it. In a globalized world, people become more
informed as the pool of knowledge keeps getting bigger. It becomes ever so cumbersome to decipher and
make use of knowledge as the amount keeps increasing.
