What Is The Connection Between Education And Political Faith?
It is a very common theme in the debate on “political education” today. This theme is the effect our schools and educational institutions have on influencing students’ political beliefs. One of the theoretical goals of education is to get people to be politically active citizens. But exactly where is education and political faith connected? What kind of connection is it?
In this article, we will focus on the effects of education on political life. Education obviously involves much more than just the academic world, but there is a great deal to keep in mind. The “political consequences” we will look at in this article are: political commitment, political attitude and political knowledge.
Now we will talk a little about these effects through three different lenses. These objectives are: (a) external variables that affect education and political beliefs, (b) direct variables, and (c) indirect variables.
External variables that affect education and political beliefs
On a statistical level, when we talk about external, modulating or third variables, what we are talking about is the external thing that creates a connection between two variables. For example, there is a connection between the number of hospitals and prisons in a city. It is a statistical fact that cities with several hospitals have more prisons. But the link comes from a third variable that affects both of the other two: the population.
When it comes to education and political belief, there are external factors that affect both variables, which explains part of the link. There are many, but here are the most important: Cognitive abilities, personality and socioeconomic background.
Cognitive skills
The link with cognitive abilities is quite clear. Having a high level of verbal expression, abstract reasoning knowledge and good memory will, among other things, help you reach further in both formal education and your political capacity. On the other hand, cognitive abilities that go towards the pedagogical system in which you develop them, are a breeding ground for basic political understanding.
Personality
When it comes to personality, it is important to understand that certain attitudes can affect education and political beliefs. For example, predispositions to learning, curiosity and research are linked to higher academic achievement and greater political understanding.
Socio-economic background
Another important aspect is the socio-economic background. This is because both political life and formal education have social limitations. Many people cannot go to college because they simply cannot afford it. Similarly, people with lower socioeconomic status usually do not spend much time on politics. Sometimes it’s because they have been directly pushed out. But other times it is because they spend most of their time surviving unstable working conditions.
Direct variables in education that affect political beliefs
There is a large selection when it comes to formal education. Apparently, these different ways of organizing people’s education lead to differences in what we call “political understanding.” This is also proof that the two variables have a direct link. But what are the specific things that affect this connection? The most important are curriculum content and pedagogical values.
Study content
Study content can have a direct influence on the political knowledge the students gain. For obvious reasons, explicit teaching of political concepts contributes to creating future citizens with much better political analytical skills. On top of that, the content also has a great influence on the students’ political figures. In other words, political education that talks about the benefits of liberalism is likely to lead people to identify more with these ideas.
Educational values
Educating students in values based on dialogue, debate and critical thinking is important. It is the best way to help them develop their own political views. There is a strong connection between the schools with these principles as their basis and politically invested students. But if people get a narrow-minded, hierarchical education, they become accustomed to dogma and authority. Finally, there are principles that will always go against a critical attitude to politics.
Indirect variables between education and political faith
There is a good chance that a person’s level of education will end up determining different parts of their life. There is usually a big difference between starting working life after high school and starting it after you have completed a doctorate. Many of these differences in education also play a role in people’s political attitudes. Regardless, the most important indirect variables between education and political faith are social position, self-image and opportunities.
Social position
In the eyes of society, the level of education usually puts you “above” some people and “below” others. This is because our society has lots of stereotypes that lead us to see people differently based on whether or not they have much education. The basic link here is that the higher the level of education, the more political influence (if other variables are the same) you will have.
Self-image
Everything you learn in your academic life also plays a role in how you see yourself. Your self-image will push you to put yourself in the same category as others with a similar level of education. It also happens that the groups with a higher level of education are more socially accepted when it comes to politics.
Possibilities
Finally, a high level of education usually also means that you have more opportunities. So basically, based on how many opportunities you have, you have more or less chances to do things related to politics.
There are many different perspectives when it comes to the connection between education and political faith. But they give us all the basic information on how to ensure that we have politically active, highly competent people in our society. The first may be to ensure that there are no social or economic constraints on the policy. In this way, it is more likely that our political systems will become more representative, and it will make it easier to do things for the common good.
