Social Change Through Education

The term social change comprises of two words: social and change. social change is meant the
change in the situation of the society over a period of time. The change that occurs in the social
organization, social structure, manner of living in the society or social relationships, customs,
traditions and beliefs, is called social change. “Social change may be defined as modification in
ways of doing and thinking of the people” “when we speak of social changes we simply assert
that there is some change in social behavior and in social structure”
Education plays a very important role in molding the character of an individual. It is one of the
concrete sources from which one get Information and Knowledge. It affects the society.
1)Preservation and transmission of our social, moral and cultural values. In education, through
curriculum, students acquired with social, moral and cultural values and teachers make them
familiar with values and high idea through different activities, games, story telling etc.
2) Awakenness of social feelings. Through education individuals become aware about the
importance of unity, love, fraternity and other values. Education makes all people get awakened
of being a part of society and how they can contribute the world as society. People know
different values and life skills and thus they develop concern for society including social
mindedness, values life skills, learning to be, learning to do, learning to know, learning to live
together.
3)Political development of society. Education makes all aware about rights and duties of all,
which are their responsibilities and duties so that they can develop their civic sense. Through
different lesson of political leaders and stories education develop ideal leadership quality so that
in future citizens can lead a state as a society.
4)Economic development of society. Education develops skills in individual and makes him a
productive citizen. Through education everyone learns how to earn money and as per the
qualification he gets job or labour and on the whole with the help of education more or less
everyone get work and earn money so due to increasing literacy per capita income will increase
as we find government take help in the form of tax and thus our economy develops. Because of
education people migrate in other country and they earning helps to develop society, country.
Thus education affects the economic development of society.
5)Social control. Education makes all aware about customs and duties the same as it makes
aware about the rules and regulations as we find the rules in Indian constitution. People know
how to preserve their lives via education. Thus education provides a guideline and it controls all
society.
6)Social changes and reforms. Education makes individuals perfects and aware about the rights.
So they can claim against dwelled superstitions, beliefs which are harmful for them. Through
education everyone learned grow to live and how to save from difficulty and how to inculcate
values and ideals in their lives so they can appeal in court having of feeling injustice. Education
makes all aware about how to live peacefully and how to face difficulties on their lives.
7)Socialization of a child. Education trains the mind of a child and it teaches him how to
inculcate values of his life. It makes the child understand what is society, how he is a part of a
society, what are his rules in society, how he should behave, how he should interact with others,
etc. Education helps him to understand how he is and it develops a sense if a social being in him.
In short education socializes a child.
Education is a web of social relationships and hence social change means change in the system
of a social relationship. The term social change is used to indicate the changes that take place in
human interactions and interrelations. Education is a social institution of a society, which
prepares individuals to lead a meaningful and dignified life. It is an important factor for social
change and is also affected by change in society. Education and social change are interlinked and
interdependent. Education is accepted universally as a tool for change in society and countries
like USA, Japan have developed because of education. According to kothari education
commission of India, education brings desirable modernity, scientific humanism, rational
thinking, national consciousness, temper, international understanding, social mobility which are
factors of social change.
Education brings about assimilation of the culture, values and transmits it from generation to
generation. It provides stability to the society and explore the complexities of life. Education
modifies the behavior, values and attitude of the pupil and gives direction and purpose to life.
Education prepares the people for social change and eradication outdated customs superstitions
and beliefs. It equips the individual with required qualities and skills to adjust in the changing
society. Education reduces conflict and opposition among the pupil and develops open
mindedness. Education eradicates ill traditions in a society and leads to modernization.
Education also eradicates untouchability, traditionalism, gender discrimination, narrow thinking,
communal tension from society and facilitate social change. It enables every individual to
participate effectively in the activities of society, and to make positive contribution to the
progress of society. Backwardness and poverty of the masses are mainly due to illiteracy and
ignorance and thus can be eradicated by education. Education changes the outlook and the
traditional approach towards social economic, economic and political problems. Education helps
in progress of industrialization, scientific discoveries which results in vast changes in society.
Education develops feeling of brotherhood and equality among the pupil. Education fulfills the
needs of the society and propagates such ideas which promote social changes in all fields of life.
Education and social change interact with each other in three ways: Education as a necessary
conditions for social change, Education as an instrument of social change, Education as an effect
of social change.
Education as a necessary condition for social change: Without the basic foundation of education
no desired social change can take place. Illiterate, semi illiterate and ill trained workers resulting
in lowering the productivity of the nation. Illiteracy is the biggest hurdle in the process of
modernization as people are unaware of their rights, roles and responsibilities. Without
eradicating illiteracy no desirable social change can be achieved, for this government has started
“Education for all program”, reservation for backward selections and also several incentives are
given like free education books, uniforms and midday mills. As education is necessary condition
for social change so education is also provided through full-time, distance and part time modes to
suit the needs of the people.
Education as an instrument of social change: Education is a powerful instrument of change in
society with which any desired change in society can be achieved. Inventions and discoveries are
not possible without education and these bring about rapid change in society. Education imparts
knowledge, provide skills and inculcate values which brings social mobility, democratization,
secularism, national and social integration and international understanding which are an
important part of social change. Transformation and reformation of society are not possible
without education.
Education as an effect of social change: Education has deep effect on social change.
Industrialization, migration, urbanization and modernization as brought change in opinion and
attitude of people towards education. More and more people are sending their children to
schools. Continuing education, life centered education, lifelong education and distance education
are results of changes in scenario of society and symbolises social change.
Characteristics of social change: Social change is universal because it is present in all societies
and at all times. No society remains completely static. The rate or the degree of change may vary
from society to society from time to time but every society keeps on changing. Social change is a
continuous process. In the process of change every society grows and decays, where it finds
renewal and accommodates itself to various changing conditions. The sources, direction, rate and
forms of change may vary time to time but it is always continuous. Change is inevitable. It is the
human nature that desires change and also it is his tendency to bring change and to oppose or
accept change. Human wants to unlimited which always keep on changing. To satisfy these
wants social changes has become a necessity to society. Change can occur in the entire social
structure or in one of its organizations. It is not necessary for all changes to be permanent. The
permanent being perceived today, may further change in the future. This is not necessary that the
changes occurring in the society will take it towards progress. Sometimes some changes leads to
the society towards degress also.
Forms of social change, •Evolutionary change – Change does not occur in the society all of a
sudden, rather it occurs on the basis of already present circumstances. This type of changes do
not occur all of a sudden, rather they occur gradually, but it appears that they have occurred
suddenly. The process of evolutionary change is continuous. •Fluctuating change- This is the
change which fluctuates like waves. As the waves of water go up and down, in the same way this
type of change occurs in the society sometimes towards progress and sometimes towards
degrees. • Cyclic change - This change occurs in a cyclic manner. In this, the previous events
reoccur in the society, for example, unemployment goes down due to employment schemes, but
there is again due to population increase, and it affects a change in the society. In the same way,
change in fashion occurs in this manner. Sometimes the bottoms of trousers go wide and
sometimes narrow. Thus, the events undergo a cyclic change.
Factors affecting social change, •Natural Factors- Nature is the chief basis of change. The land
surface doesn’t remain static. Several type of problems are faced due to flood, drought, famine,
earthquake, disease etc. • Biological factors - If the population is bearing weak offspring due to
heredity, then it would have its impact on social life also. On the other hand not only inter- caste,
inter-religion marriages but also marriages with foreign nationals are occurring, which effecting
social change. •Demographic factors- It plays very important role. Increase or decrease in size or
population, makes social change probable. Population of India increased massively, which has
brought down the standard of life of people. Poverty, Unemployment, Crimes, Pollution brings
social change to a great extent.