What is Education For?

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What is Education For? by Mind Map: What is Education For?

1. For expanded political and economic engagement, education should play a bigger role in preparing and enhancing citizens' knowledge on it.

1.1. Historically, education has positively benefitted to more democratic engagement.

1.1.1. "As Acemoglu and Robinson argue, the expansion of political participation drove egalitarian economic reforms in Britain in the nineteenth century and the United States in the early twentieth"(Allen 11).

1.1.1.1. In this quote, it shows the overall importance of how choosing to participate and be apart of empowering others to see a different view within political equality, will only do more good than bad. If the British and US expanded in political participation in earlier centuries, it only goes to show that as we have more valuable resources, like allowing the ability to be educated on these topics, it should be considered, to find a opening among political and economic equality.

1.2. Helps promote participatory readiness

1.2.1. "If we choose political equality as our orienting ideal - empowering all to participate capably in the life of a polity - a different view of education's purpose, content, and consequence comes into view" (Allen 11).

1.2.1.1. Allen emphasizes that political equality changes the focus of education such as job preparation to creating an environment of critical thinking and an active participation in democracy. If education systems are focused on the goal of enhancing political involvement, this will positively contribute to having more social equality and better decision making as a whole.

1.3. Specific political decisions and opinions from individuals shape democratic and economic inequality for future outcomes

1.3.1. "Or, as Daron Acemoglu and Jim Robinson argue, 'It is the institutions and the political equilibrium of a society that determine how technology evolves, how markets function, and how the gains from various different economic arrangements are distributed'"(Allen 10).

1.3.1.1. In this quote, it shows the overall importance of institutions like the laws, regulations, and structures of the government that are involved towards shaping economic results. It explains that education influences the distribution of wealth and resources. It also highlights the connection of technological advancements and political decisions. For instance, economic conditions such as income inequality is not dependent on the result of the market forces or common technological changes. Instead, they are influenced by political choices.

2. To embrace the idea of civic activity and creating a way of life for participatory readiness, integrating and revising types of education can produce better outcomes.

2.1. In past centuries, it is proven that liberal arts has been developed for a more equal and globalized democracy.

2.1.1. "The Europeans and American colonists who designed systems of representative democracy capable of achieving continental scale---while employing genocidal techniques in the process--were broadly and deeply educated in history, geography, philosophy, literature, and art"(Allen 12).

2.1.1.1. In the text, liberal arts is seen as a useful method to train citizens for productive and ethical reasoning towards their decision-making processes and argumentations. Allen suggests in this quote that in the past, Europeans and Americans were able to use liberal arts as a necessary technique to reach the goal for a better democracy, politically and economically.

2.2. A correct judgment is crucial in making a decision and requires proper understanding.

2.2.1. "Properly conducted, the citizen's intellectual labor should result in a probabilistic judgment answering this critical question: What combination of principle and organizational form is most likely to secure collective safety and happiness?"(Allen 12).

2.2.1.1. Allen demonstrates the role of incorporating education within civic engagement by emphasizing the idea that civic education is treated unequally compared to regular education. From this, citizens aren't able judge and understand if their responsibilities meet the political order of a government's resposibilties. This creates failure within the government, so citizens having the ability to comprehend and make the right decision is key to parcipatory readiness.

2.3. The study of humanities and social sciences have shown strong correlation to engagement in politics.

2.3.1. "And within ten years of graduation, 44.1 percent of 1993 humanities graduates had written to public officials, compared to 30.1 percent of STEM majors"(Allen 13).

2.3.1.1. Although there are many ways to foster a way of learning towards civic agency, incorporating studies of humanities and social sciences have statistically shown great improvement in training citizens. Some citizens view their perceptions as commonalities within all indivituals, so adapting and learning different techniques is argued to be better for many particular outcomes.

3. When Allen uses "ostensibly precarious", she defines it by emphasizing on the educational performance about political and economic equality that stands today on the"normality" of it being taught and understood.

3.1. Allen also applies a unique term, "hypermeritocracy". She uses this phrase in relationship with social and political change and is a type of ideology that success is seen in society based on ability and talents over wealth and status.