Chapter Seven
Corporate Capital and Progressive Education
Corporate Capital and Progressive Education
From 1890 - 1930, the second major movement of education reform was born. The progressive movement was also fueled by unrest and social strife. This movement unlike the common school revival that was blogged about in chapter 6, was focused on diversity, the unity of the school with the community, and what we know as child centered instruction. It was around this time that public high school had finally extended to the masses. Although the authors note that this movement was not exactly what John Dewey had hoped for as we will soon see. This objective of social equalization and full human development did not lend it self to the outcomes of this era. In the end, unfortunately, the role of education was capitalist expansion, and the integration of youth into the wage-labour system was what came to dominate.
At the time there were individuals who realized that this was occurring. They were part of the Populist movement. This was occurring alongside an upheaval in the wage-labour system. These movements did not last as they did not produce any alternatives to what was happening. It was around this time period that the hierarchical division of labour was created. Corporations were becoming so large that it was deemed necessary to create levels of workers to keep companies running smoothly. It was this changing of the division of labour within the corporation, the conflict between capital and labour, and the changing of the occupational structure all had a major bearing on the educational system.
The expansion of education was pressed due to the fact that the elite sectors of individuals were becoming alarmed by the growing unrest in the wage - labour system. It was the social control arguments that had started to sound like a good idea. Again, like in the earlier reform, school was looked at a means to produce new forms of motivation and discipline that were necessary to serve the emerging corporate ideologies / hierarchical division of labour. As well it was hoped to be an antidote to urban labour. (As was mentioned in earlier blogs, education was thought to almost have magical powers!) Finally, with the closing of the Western frontier and the declining prospects of individuals to make it on thier own, education was seen as one of the few paths left towards mobility, security and social respectability. I think it is interesting that individuals have bought into this notion that higher education, I am talking about past high school, is the main way to achieve social respectability. I think that we have lost sight that there are many paths to success, and that one should not believe that a degree is the the only path to self accomplishment because it can very well be attained else where. This could be such things as inventing something, writing a book, or starting up a non profit group. I know that this was most likely not possible when this reform was occurring, but I am talking about now. I get the general sense that there is more credibility assigned to degrees then is warranted, depending on your subject matter.
The schools at the time were not up to the tasks that were given to them. There was an alarming gap between the democratic ideology that schools were supposed to be fulfilling and the social reality of the class structure that existed at the time. The first item the Progressive movement wanted to change was to gain more control of schools. It was a movement that sought to centralize the control of urban education in the hands of experts. Schools were to be removed form politics. As far as I can see this has not occurred. If anything it seems that politics plays a large role in today's education system. This brings me back to a class discussion we had about the influence politics have over school curriculum and what is taught. As I mentioned before when Peter Lougheed came into power he revamped the curriculum to suit more technical skills that he felt studetns should be learning. This seems like it was a throwback to the ideology's that came long before Peter coming into power.
The authors then discuss the fact that individuals who were running the reforms of the time were the elite members of society. I my self fail to see how this would create a more equal school system... This elite group of individuals also got their hands into how the schools were actually run. Uh- oh ... as you can imagine this ushered in an era of top - down control. Bureaucracy became the watchword of schools.
To be continued ...
At the time there were individuals who realized that this was occurring. They were part of the Populist movement. This was occurring alongside an upheaval in the wage-labour system. These movements did not last as they did not produce any alternatives to what was happening. It was around this time period that the hierarchical division of labour was created. Corporations were becoming so large that it was deemed necessary to create levels of workers to keep companies running smoothly. It was this changing of the division of labour within the corporation, the conflict between capital and labour, and the changing of the occupational structure all had a major bearing on the educational system.
The expansion of education was pressed due to the fact that the elite sectors of individuals were becoming alarmed by the growing unrest in the wage - labour system. It was the social control arguments that had started to sound like a good idea. Again, like in the earlier reform, school was looked at a means to produce new forms of motivation and discipline that were necessary to serve the emerging corporate ideologies / hierarchical division of labour. As well it was hoped to be an antidote to urban labour. (As was mentioned in earlier blogs, education was thought to almost have magical powers!) Finally, with the closing of the Western frontier and the declining prospects of individuals to make it on thier own, education was seen as one of the few paths left towards mobility, security and social respectability. I think it is interesting that individuals have bought into this notion that higher education, I am talking about past high school, is the main way to achieve social respectability. I think that we have lost sight that there are many paths to success, and that one should not believe that a degree is the the only path to self accomplishment because it can very well be attained else where. This could be such things as inventing something, writing a book, or starting up a non profit group. I know that this was most likely not possible when this reform was occurring, but I am talking about now. I get the general sense that there is more credibility assigned to degrees then is warranted, depending on your subject matter.
The schools at the time were not up to the tasks that were given to them. There was an alarming gap between the democratic ideology that schools were supposed to be fulfilling and the social reality of the class structure that existed at the time. The first item the Progressive movement wanted to change was to gain more control of schools. It was a movement that sought to centralize the control of urban education in the hands of experts. Schools were to be removed form politics. As far as I can see this has not occurred. If anything it seems that politics plays a large role in today's education system. This brings me back to a class discussion we had about the influence politics have over school curriculum and what is taught. As I mentioned before when Peter Lougheed came into power he revamped the curriculum to suit more technical skills that he felt studetns should be learning. This seems like it was a throwback to the ideology's that came long before Peter coming into power.
The authors then discuss the fact that individuals who were running the reforms of the time were the elite members of society. I my self fail to see how this would create a more equal school system... This elite group of individuals also got their hands into how the schools were actually run. Uh- oh ... as you can imagine this ushered in an era of top - down control. Bureaucracy became the watchword of schools.
To be continued ...
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