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Dilemmas of Cultural Transmission

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Dilemmas of Cultural Transmission Universal Journal of Educational Research 4(7): 1698-1707, 2016 http://www.hrpub.org DOI: 10.13189/ujer.2016.040723 Dilemmas of Cultural Transmission Mária Kováts-Németh Faculty of Education, J. Selye University, Komárno, 94501, Slovakia Copyright©2016 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License Abstract The fundamental problem of the 21st century is We own a many thousand years old cultural heritage, in that in the modern civilization the transmission of values is the same way as all peoples possess their own unique one. not stable. There is nothing, except for the natural sense of Our common, but in the same way unique European culture justice and some legal traditions, which would exercise consists of antiquity, Roman law and Christianity. selective power on social behavior. At a critical time in 1949 And what are common among the features of the Albert Szent-Györgyi drew the attention to the fact that Hungarian, Slovak, Polish and German cultures? They are “education is one of the most important activities of literacy, and the way it is being transmitted. These cultures mankind.” Why do they question this in the 21st century? We share the vision of the SCHOOL, which helps us learn how might assume that the reason is basically the loss of values to speak “one language”, the language of value systems. which goes together with the successes reached through While being able to maintain our diversity, the SCHOOL superficial knowledge; as well as the lack of the measure, the enables us to understand each other, to stand for and spread morality, the attitude to be followed; the appreciation of the our own values, and to be able to constantly renew them. It European and typically Hungarian cultural heritages; and teaches us how to honor and value the science, art, faith and cultural transmission. Education science has an important traditions – the unique culture of another people. It allows us role in the recreation of culture. In the first half of the 20th to see that variety and diversity does not make us poorer, it century new pedagogical trends appeared and evolved in enriches not only us, but ultimately Europe as well. Europe and the United States. Their comparative evaluation It is important, within our information abundant world or could be helpful at the free choice of high standards. rather to say a world of overflowing information, not to stay insecure, but to use our values, inherited by thousands of Keywords Culture, Cultural Transmission, Value years, as guidelines for confidence and security. Theory, Cultural Pedagogy, Reform Pedagogy, Education, The school can help us to recognize these guidelines, only Literacy if it spreads and renews a curriculum as the basis of literacy, culture, and authentic literacy. The condition of this renewal is the synthesis of the culture to be acquired, as well as using the power of authenticity to point out the coherence between 1. Introduction the aforementioned phenomena. “The most important difference between us and the great It is our most important task to discover and enrich the apes is culture. Not the symbolic culture, which mostly lies culture practiced by our ancestors. The guidance of Pope inside our minds, but the one that exists outside of it. Culture Benedict XVI should help us differentiate the relevant from shares the cognitive activity between many brains, and the irrelevant. “The Book of Wisdom says: God handed over governs the thinking of its members… the world to our contentious interpretation. Knowing science We are a culturally bound species living in symbiosis with is the adventure he left to us. In revelation, however, he our own creations. We seek culture as birds seek wind. In reveals what is important for life and death.” [2] return, culture shapes our minds the same way the sculptor The European culture always kept a count of the ancient shapes the material.” Eastern cultures. These include: the cuneiform clay tablets of Mesopotamia from 7th millennium BC, the clerical Donald is being quoted by Csaba Pléh, when he th emphasizes that it is necessary for today’s scientific world church-schools established in the 4 millennium; the and its practice to aim at synthesis. It is exceptionally Egyptian culture with its hieroglyph writing, the high quality important, since nowadays we can talk about a tripolar, not a training in not just clerkship but the natural sciences as well; bipolar world. These three factors include: the psyche, the Brahman – the Hindu upbringing, where cultural transmission is caste-specific; and the Chinese culture, mental process, and development. The last one of these nd factors, development, incorporates evolution, culture, and which operated a school system in the 2 millennium BC, ontogenesis. [1] and which used the five holy books, compiled by Confucius Universal Journal of Educational Research 4(7): 1698-1707, 2016 1699 in the 6th century BC, as the basis of the curriculum for the society.” [3] second level of public education. The main issue is the general uncertainty in the assessment of those factors determining cultural content, furthermore in determining fundamental values, especially in 2. The Issue the case of former socialist countries. In the liberty ensured by democracy the respect and observance of rules and “The future of humanity depends on those people, who regulations has decreased. Many researchers prove that the stand for the truth, and whose lives are being fulfilled with values, types of behavior, and transmission of norms, the high moral principles. These shall move their heart to developed during the history of humankind, are missing self-devoted love.” (Pope Saint John Paul II) from modern society. This prevents the evolvement of a The fundamental problem of the 21st century is that in the mature personality. [4] According to K. Lorenz growing up modern civilization the transmission of values is not stable. without having to face any failures will result in infantilism. There is nothing, except for the natural sense of justice and [5] some legal traditions, which would exercise selective power The root of the problem lies in cultural transmission. Who on social behavior. At a critical time in 1949 Albert are responsible for the mediation of culture? Are the Szent-Györgyi drew the attention to the fact that “education responsible ones uncertain in their task of being in charge for is one of the most important activities of mankind.” the influences children receive through their path to Why do they question this in the 21st century? We might adulthood? Or are their actions intentional in causing assume that the reason is basically the loss of values which ambiguity and spreading unculturedness? goes together with the successes reached through superficial Sándor Márai left to us the following: “Heading eastward, knowledge; as well as the lack of the measure, the morality, Hungary is the last cultural area, where the European man the attitude to be followed; the appreciation of the European has the same common fate with everything that represents and typically Hungarian cultural heritages; and cultural the past, present and responsibility of European Christian transmission. literacy.” Hungarians feel alike when listening to a lecture at Since the beginning of institutional education and even Sorbonne in Paris, and the same spirit speaks to a after pedagogy became an independent science, the essential Stockholmian entering the Esztergom Basilica as in the question still is: What is the purpose and role of school? The Uppsala Cathedral. “Western civilization in Hungary is not purpose of school is: education and familiarization with the an import, but the elemental component of its past, present civilizational values, preservation, enrichment and renewal and the function of its role.” Do we really teach and learn of the culture generation by generation. The purpose of what our professional duty is? Or the vow taken at the education is “to enable individuals and through them the ceremonial acceptance of the diploma is only a formality, social community – nation and society – for moral meaning that not keeping it has no consequences at all? How development”. This also means to enable people “to do good could it involve responsibilities if it does not even cause a of free will”, to which it is necessary to possess the virtues of twinge of conscience? Nevertheless, our heritage is rich self-control, truthfulness and love. [25] The familiarization because the “Hungarian history of spiritual knowledge and acquirement of civilizational values evolve in the (Geisteswissenschaft) has always responded particularly process of education. In order to realize this purpose, we and accountably to the big European questions.” [6] have to be familiar with the culture’s fundamental factors Consequently the press, radio, media, publishers, theatres, and the aspects of selecting the cultural content of literacy to museums, and politics are at least as much responsible as the be transmitted as “curriculum”. The purpose of education teacher. and pedagogy must be the transmission of the entire culture – How to teach what we do not know? Namely: What is the knowledge, faith, art, morality. In 2002 these four factors of commonweal? Obviously, it cannot be propagated by neither culture were redefined by UNESCO, which are the same as the market, nor fashion. When they defined the notion of those already maintained by pedagogical sciences in Europe, Europe, they believed that Europe stands on three pillars: the except the ones representing the materialist worldview. Greek philosophy, Roman law and Christian morality. Unfortunately, the fundamental questions of cultural “European identity is defined by intellectual and moral transmission are not being discussed adequately neither by values”. [7] the theory nor by the practice of science in the 21th century.
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