What is Education For? by SALEEHIA HOYE

What is the purpose of education?

soh16_1 — 2025-02-24 19:51:46 UTC

According to Danielle Allen, the purpose of education should be to prepare people to be active members of society by being well rounded in learning. She emphasizes the importance of what she calls "participatory readiness", which essentially means to be able to participate and contribute to the political process in a meaningful way.

The Focus on Education Historically

soh16_1 — 2025-02-26 18:17:09 UTC

The passing of the National Defense Education Act in 1958 to increase funding for science, math, and vocational education, as well as a report from the Regan administration in 1983, can be cited as the spark that began to diverge the humanities from education. This sentiment is further solidified through texts like Capitalist in the Twenty-First Century by economist Thomas Pickett; he writes that essentially, the only way to bridge the gap between the lower and upper class is for the lower class to develop various skills. This ideology continues to fuel vocational education like STEM, for example (Allen 2018, p. 9-10).

Allen on "Participatory Readiness"

soh16_1 — 2025-02-26 18:27:46 UTC

Allen emphasizes that the socioeconomic state of America is reinforced an upheld by politics, and we should focus on this aspect rather than the symptom of the policies. In doing so, education must prepare people to be active participants in the political sphere. Development of reading and writing skills paves the way for people to use collaborative efforts when enacting civic agency.

Civic Agency

soh16_1 — 2025-02-26 18:38:27 UTC

Civic agency details 3 key components to enacting political change in a society. The first is "disinterested deliberation", meaning that citizens and lawmakers are simply gathered to discuss policy. The second is "'frame shifting'" sparked by prophetic work, these are the critical thinkers that inspire the population with new thoughts and ideals. Lastly, are the activists who actually spearhead the push for change. Ideally, one person embodies all of these characteristics but it is more realistic for certain people to adopt certain roles

citation

soh16_1 — 2025-02-26 19:30:43 UTC

Allen, Danielle (2016) New Democracy Forum What is Education For? (8-25) bostonreview.net

Liberal Arts in Education

soh16_1 — 2025-02-26 20:05:41 UTC

Allen cites the historical relevance of a liberal arts-focused education through the founding documents of America. Elements like history, public speaking and philosophy are what supplement policy making, implementation, and its affect on society. Citizens should have a well-rounded education in order to be able to contribute meaningfully to efforts in improving society. The Founding Fathers of America were men who were we'll-versed in the aforementioned subjects and were able to draft a revolutionary constitution for a new country (Allen 2018, p. 13).