James offers his definition of education as “the organization of acquired habits of conduct and tendencies to behavior” (p. 15). Education serves a larger cultural purpose, preparing individuals to be successful members of the society in which they are engaged. As we grow, the majors we select and the courses that we take socialize us in some way for the careers that we are preparing for and the knowledge and behaviors expected therein. This lecture builds on James’ previous two lectures, and presents education and teaching as a means harnessing our stream of consciousness and behaviors in such a way that we are able to make connections between the information we have absorbed and our everyday experiences. In this view, the educated individual is a sum of learned information and behaviors that can be applied in practical ways.
James notes the cultural differences in the purpose of education, which are informed by the different values and aspirations each society has for its inhabitants. What it means to be educated in one country and another might vary widely. Furthermore, what it means to be educated changes over time. In the early days of higher education in the United States, we were preparing theologians and gentleman scholars. In current times, higher education has taken on the responsibility of preparing individuals for careers while also serving as a place of transition from childhood to adulthood for traditionally aged college students. The behaviors expected of an educated individual have changed, and our educational system changes as well to meet the new demands and expectations. Is it education that is driving societal change, or is it society’s changing values that drive educational reform?
This is a really good question you raise. What it means to be "educated" is both culturally and temporally situated. I wonder if we could come to consensus about what it means to be educated today. I rather doubt it.
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