Parental Involvement

Parental involvement is an essential aspect of a child's educational development. Early and consistent parental involvement in the child's life is critical such as reading to children at an early age, teaching patterns, interpersonal communication skills, exposing them to diverse cultures and the community around them, educating them on a healthy lifestyle, etc. The socialization and academic education of a child are aided by the involvement of the student, parent(s), teachers, and others in the community and extended family.

Education and Socialization: A Functionalist View

In the broadest sense, all societies must have an educational system. That is, they must have a way of teaching the young the tasks that are likely to be expected of them as they develop and mature into adulthood. If we accept this definition of an educational system, then we must believe that there really is no difference between education and socialization. As Margaret Mead (1943) observed, in many preliterate societies no such distinction is made. Children learn most things informally, most incidentally, simply by being included in adult activities.

Traditionally, the family has been the main arena for socialization. As societies have become more complex, the family has been unable to fulfil all aspects of its socialization function. Thus, the formal educational system must extend the socialization process that starts in the family. Modern industrialized societies draw a distinction between education and socialization. In ordinary speech, we differentiate between socialization and education by talking of bringing up and educating children as separate tasks. In modern society, these two aspects of socialization are quite compartmentalized. Whereas rearing children is an informal activity, education or schooling is formal. The role prescriptions that determine interactions between students and teachers are clearly defined, and the curriculum to be taught is explicit. Obviously, the educational process goes far beyond just formalized instruction. In addition, children learn things in their families and among other peers.

Schools, as formal institutions of civilization, emerged as part of the evolution of civilization. However, until about 200 years ago, education did not help people become more productive in practical ways; thus, it was a luxury that a few could afford. This changed dramatically with the industrialization of Western culture. Workers with specialized skills were required for production jobs, as were professional, well-trained managers.

When the industrial revolution moved workers out of their homes and into factories, the labour force consisted not only of adults but also of children. Subsequently child labour laws were passed to prohibit children from working in factories. Public schools eventually emerged as agencies dedicated to socializing students, teaching them proper attitudes and behaviour, and encouraging conformity to the norms of social life and the workplace.

Cultural Transmission

The most obvious goal of education is cultural transmission, in which major portions of society’s knowledge is passed from one generation to the next. In relatively small, homogenous societies, in which almost all members share the culture’s norms, values and perspectives, cultural transmission is a matter of consensus and requires a few specialized institutions. In a complex, pluralistic society such as ours, with competition among ethnic and other minority groups for economic and political power, the decision about which aspects of the culture will be transmitted is the outgrowth of a complicated process.