Chapter 11 - Aims and Conceptions of Education

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the major concepts, philosophical theories, and principles of education from Chapter 11, including sociological, institutional, and enlightenment views, as well as state, parental, and democratic control of education.

Sociological view of education

An understanding of education as the process of integrating a person into society's general norms of behavior through both formal and informal social practices.

Institutional view of education

A viewpoint where 'being educated' is synonymous with attending a particular institution, such as a school or university, and attaining its official goals.

General enlightenment view of education

A conception of education focused on the development of the human mind, reason, and understanding for their own sake rather than for religious or extrinsic ends.

Miseducation

A term used within the sociological viewpoint to refer to informal social practices like indoctrination or brainwashing that result in specific ways of behavior.

Intrinsic value

The idea that education is valuable in itself and for its own sake, becoming a feature of one's person and shaping their sense of ultimate value.

Educere

The Latin root for education meaning 'to elicit' or 'to draw out' potential knowledge from within a person.

The Noble Lie

A myth proposed by Plato to maintain social order by claiming God mixed gold, silver, iron, or copper into humans to determine their roles as rulers, soldiers, or workers.

Guardians

The class of philosopher-rulers in Plato's imagined society who possess the mixture of gold and are responsible for managing the community through wisdom and knowledge of goodness.

Tabula rasa

A term used by John Locke to describe the human mind at birth as an 'empty slate' that acquires knowledge through contact with the external environment.

State of nature

A concept by John Locke describing the natural state of mankind as one of perfect freedom and equality under the dictates of the law of reason implanted by God.

Preparationism

A principle of African traditional education focusing on preparing children for future gender-based roles and the division of labor between the sexes.

Functionalism

A participatory type of African education where individuals learn through imitation, ceremonies, work, and oral traditions to become members of society.

Communalism

An African traditional principle where members of society own things in common and share responsibility for life, work, and the disciplining of children.

Perennialism

The idea in traditional communities that education serves as a vehicle for maintaining or preserving cultural heritage and the existing status quo.

Wholisticism

The promotion of multiple skills essential for upbringing, enabling a person to see connections between various forms of knowledge and types of work.

Principle of liberty

John Stuart Mill's maxim stating that individuals should have the right to act as they wish as long as the negative consequences are felt only by themselves.

Principle of harm

John Stuart Mill's rule that society may only interfere with an individual's liberty to prevent harm to others.

Principle of non-repression

Amy Gutmann's democratic principle that the state, parents, and individuals should not be permitted to stop teachers and learners from engaging in healthy and critical debate.

Principle of non-discrimination

Amy Gutmann's principle requiring that all educable children be adequately educated to participate as citizens regardless of race, gender, class, or disability.

Public reason

John Rawls's idea of deliberation which acknowledges equality and freedom, but shuns issues that provoke disagreement to focus on areas of consensus.

Discursive democracy

Seyla Benhabib's model where public dialogue results from free deliberation about common interests, including the right to interrogate the agenda and discuss matters without agreement.

Communicative democracy

Iris Marion Young's model that broadened deliberation to include greeting, rhetoric, and storytelling to foster understanding across cultural differences.