Education and Society in Comparative Context

Book excerpt: "What was the interrelationship between education and society during the twentieth century in the United States and India? What is the essence of the historical development of educational policies and social systems in these two countries? What philosophical views and developmental courses underlie their outdoor-oriented education? What are their aims of outdoor-oriented education? What procedures are connected with their outdoor-oriented education? These questions are examined in this unique volume.This book is divided into three parts. The first part creates a context for the comparison of the issues concerning education and society. The central point of departure used here regards education as being closely related to the totality of culture and human activity. The dialectic process between education and society is realized differently in accordance with the value objectives that provide the background for different societies. This comparative educational study uses a historico-hermeneutical approach. The second part analyzes the social systems and educational policies of the United States and India following their developmental trends and patterns. The nature of the relationship between education and society for each country is further brought into focus when it is interpreted from the perspective of the philosophical views, pedagogical aims, and procedures of twentieth-century outdoor-oriented education. The case studies provide an interesting insight into how changes in educational policy have been reflected in the every-day pedagogical procedures used in schools in the United States and India.The third part is an analysis and comparison of the phenomena previously presented that are related to education and society through the lenses suggested by sociological theories. It compares the dimensions of the interrelationship between education and society from the standpoint of outdoor-oriented education in the two countries during the twentieth century.This thought-provoking volume is intended for anybody interested in the interplay between education and society in all its complexity. It offers a fascinating journey into the past and present of the issues that have defined the development of education and society in the United States and India."