Because different members of society have different perspectives on education, the concept of education can mean different things to different people. The process that supports the acquisition of knowledge, habits, attitudes, skills, and values can be described as education, however. Education is the synthesis of several approaches used to guarantee accurate knowledge transfer. The approach combines discussion, instruction, training, and narrative. In addition, the concept of formal and informal education could be used to categorize education. Education has greatly benefited society in terms of both individual growth and the creation of research-based innovations. Education as also ensures the possibility of the transfer of practices, behaviors, and knowledge from one generation to another. There is need to at this juncture stress that education is also power, this is due to the contributions made by education to the human society. This study will focus on the functions and contribution of education to the American society by discussing valid proofs of such contributions.
Transfer of norms and values
The role performed by education in the process of ensuring that norms and values are transferred to members of the American society cannot be overemphasized. Education has a unique method of shaping the society in alignment with accepted norms and value. This is carried out through the two primary typologies of education i.e. the formal and the informal education setting. The formal education can be considered as a form of orientation and learning that takes place out of the school environment. This method is the most common method adopted by parents in a bid to transfer norms and values into the children. The informal education method utilizes storytelling discussions and parental example as a means of teaching values to the upcoming generation. This process is not fixed for a particular duration; the informal education occurs over the lifetime. The formal system, on the other hand, relies fundamentally on the school setting where teachers are responsible for impacting the societal norms and values to students, and it usually for a specific duration i.e. a fixed number of years, (Riordan 28 -38). Haven pointed out the above; there is need to clearly stress that education is a vivid method by which values and norms are transferred in the American society.
Establishing credentials for the society
One of the primary functions of education is the creation of credential for the society. A credential driven society could be arrived at in an easy way. Education comes in grades and levels; each level has certification or credentials. In the American society, our education system is classified into primary secondary and tertiary institution, and each of this level comes with its qualifications and credentials. The lowest being the primary followed by the secondary and the highest form is at the tertiary level. The education enables a society to be classified based on the credential, and these credentials determine that level of employment opportunities that will be available to such individual. There is need to vividly pointed out that the higher the credential, the greater the opportunity it accrues. A person with a primary school education is considered to have the lowest credential in the society, hence the possibility of a low paying employment and a low economic status. Persons with secondary or high school level of education are expected to have, and a greater level of credential compare to the primary level hence they are supposed to have a higher employment and economic status. However, the maximum form of credential is obtained in the tertiary institutions and based on the classification its offer the highest form of credentials could also translate to the highest cadre of employment and economic status, (Riordan 40-45). There is need also to stress that this is a primary feature of the American society; people with higher qualification have access to better employment opportunities when compared with their less educated counterparts.
Maintain class structure
There is a need also to point out that education can also maintain a class structure in the society. The notion that education is meant to provide equal opportunities for members of the society is not always the case. Education often results in social reproduction inequalities. Those who succeed in education are rewarded, and those who fail have them self to blame. There is need to noted that education provides opportunities varied for people in the society. Therefore, people with good education tend to have more opportunities than those who do not have a good education. There need to stress that educated individuals have already attained a higher society class than the uneducated or less educated. This status provides them with enormous economic resources compared to their less educated counterparts. With these resources they could also afford to send their children to the best schools, giving them access to high-quality education. However the less educated do not have access to enormous resources like that educated counterparts. This whole situation results in the maintenance of a class structure where the educated remains the elites and the uneducated maintains their status as the non-elites, (Riordan 28 -38) Education has therefore maintained class structure in the American society. Wealthy families can educate their children to highest of standards, and hence they maintain their elite status. However, with the less educated the reverse is the case hence they maintain their status of non-elites.
Delay entrance into the labor market
Economics considers the labor market as a combination of demand and supply of labor. However, in literal terms, a labor market is considered as a relationship between the employers of labor and job seekers. There is need to stress that most people get into the labor market after the completion of their academic studies. Education is a basic requirement for success in the labor market. However, education can also delay the entrance of individuals into labor markets because the higher the education people attain the long time they spent outside the labor market. The individuals with primary level education spend just six years, and they are ready for the labor market. Those who takes a step for to obtain secondary education spends 12years, and they are ready for the labor market. Those who wish to obtain a bachelor's degree spends about 16year depending on their course of study before they could get into the labor. There is a need to stress that education plays a predominate role in the delaying the entrance of people into the labor market. The higher the education an individual’s seeks to attain the higher the number of years the person will be expected to spend in the school system before getting into the labor market, (Riordan 28 -38). This is a primary feature of the American society, most Americans are educated, and they seek to attain the maximum heights of education available in their areas of specialization, hence it is important to state that education is a factor that delays the entrance of people into the American labor market.
Conclusion
Education is defined as the process that facilitates the acquisition of knowledge, habits behaviors skill and values education is the combination of several adopted method to ensure precise transfer of knowledge. Irrespective of the varied view of individuals concerning education, education can be considered as a basic requirement and characteristic of every society. We all have access to education based on our daily activities be it formal and informal. Education does not only broadens our mind and expose us to new ways of life, but it also shapes our society and creates a medium by which norms and values are transfer from one generation to another. There is need to clearly stress that this study concludes that education is power based on its ability to shape our society, our beliefs, and values and based on the fact that education can distinguish people based on their qualification and credential. Education also maintains the class structure of every society by giving higher value to people with higher education and lower value to people with lower education. Educational also has the inherent potential of delaying entrance into the labor market because the higher the level of education people seek to again the greater the number of years they are expected to individuals in the school system before gaining entrance into the labor.
Work Cited
Riordan, Cornelius H. Equality and achievement: An introduction to the sociology of education. Prentice Hall, 2004.
