Education, Religion and Family
Education, religion, and family are three important pillars of society. Education is a process by which one learns to read, write, and think critically. Religion is a belief system that creates a sense of community and morality. Family structures provide structure, support, and guidance in life. This brief research essay discusses the importance, impact, and major trends of education, religion, and family in the society and culture of the United States in the 21st century.
Part – 1
Why is education important in our society?
How does education impact society?
What are the major trends in United States education in the 21st century?
What are the major problems faced by elementary and secondary schools in the United States today?
Does education play into a culture? Does culture play into education? Explain.
Education is important in our society because it allows us to be more self-reliant and productive (Wobbekind, 2012). It allows us to learn about ourselves and others, and it helps us develop skills that will help us navigate life’s challenges. In particular, education helps us understand what kind of work we are suited for and where we might find employment opportunities. It provides us with the tools necessary to succeed in any job, so we can choose what careers suit our interests and skills. Education also develops our capacity for critical thinking and problem solving, which is necessary for success in a competitive society like ours (Wobbekind, 2012). Also, by developing these skills, students are better able to identify their strengths and weaknesses—and then use them effectively to achieve their goals. Education has a huge impact on society because it teaches people to think critically, problem-solve, and work as a team. These are all skills that are extremely valuable in today’s world, where we face increasingly complex challenges. However, these skills aren’t just useful in the workplace—they’re also important for our personal lives and civic engagement. By learning to think critically and problem-solve, we can help make decisions that effectively address our community’s needs. By working as a team, we can collaborate with others to solve problems and make better decisions than we could individually. And by developing these skills, one can become more aware of how one’s decisions affect other people—something that’s essential in modern society where everyone is constantly connected online by social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook.
There are many trends in education in the 21st century, but one of the most prominent is the rise of online learning. Online learning is becoming more and more common, especially for high school students. This is because it allows for a more flexible schedule and access to courses without having to drive or be in class with other people. It also allows people who can’t find a way to get an education due to financial reasons or other reasons to still be able to get an education. Another trend that has been growing in recent years is the concept of “blended learning.” (Alismail & McGuire, 2015). This refers to when students learn through different methods such as attending classes at their local community college or taking online classes that are available through their schools’ websites. The idea is that this will allow students who want to go back home during the summer or who have other obligations like work can still make sure they’re getting their credits by attending these classes online (Alismail & McGuire, 2015).
There are a lot of problems faced by elementary and secondary schools in the United States today. The first problem is that we don’t give enough time for students to learn what they need to know. We have an insane amount of homework, and it can be difficult for students to find time for actual learning. The second problem is that we have too many things going on at once for our students. Our system is designed to allow kids to create their schedules instead of forcing them into a strict schedule, but this can lead to chaos in the classroom. The third problem is that there are not enough resources available to schools across the country. We have a huge gap between what schools need versus what they can afford, which results in less than adequate education being provided across the nation. Education does play into a culture, but it is not the sole determinant of one’s culture. Education plays into a person’s culture in several ways. The most obvious way is that education is something that every human being has to go through, and thus it influences how they think about life and the world around them. Culture can also influence education by shaping what kinds of subjects are taught at school and what kinds of subjects are not taught at all. For example, an individual might be taught to value math or science more than English language arts, because these subjects may be more useful for their future careers or for earning money. An individual’s culture can shape their perceptions about education as well, either positively or negatively. For example, if someone grows up in a community where everyone has access to higher education opportunities (or if everyone has been able to attend college), then they might have an easier time believing that they will be able to succeed at getting into college themselves someday than someone who grew up in an area where only a few people had access to higher education opportunities (or if no one had ever attended college).
Part 2: Religion
Answer the following questions in 2-3 paragraphs.
Why is religion important in some societies?
What are the key components of religion? How does religion impact society?
What are the major types of religious organizations?
What are the major trends or changes in the United States religion in the 21st century?
Does religion play into a culture? Does culture play into religion? Explain.
Religion is an important part of the lives for most of the people in the world. It provides a guide for their daily lives, as well as a sense of belonging to something greater than themselves. While some cultures do not have a strong religious presence, many others do. In some societies, religion is seen as being more important than other things like family or work. In other cultures, it may be considered less important than those things. In any given society, religious beliefs can be very different from one group to another, but one thing remains consistent: religion impacts every aspect of life in significant ways. The key components of religion are belief, ritual, and ethics. Religion impacts society by giving people a common set of beliefs that unites them and helps them understand the world around them. It also creates rituals and ceremonies that help maintain the community and provide an outlet for people to express their emotions in healthy ways. Also, it provides guidelines for ethical behavior that can be applied universally by all members of society. Moreover, it impacts society by encouraging altruism and compassion. It can also lead people to help others in need, as well as encourage them to pray for their fellow humans when they are sick or vulnerable. This can be done through prayer circles or even just praying alone at home or in public spaces like parks or temples.
There are several different types of religious organizations. The first type is the single-purpose organization. It has a mission, and it exists to fulfill that mission. It may have multiple locations, but its members all work together toward the same goal. The second type is the multi-purpose organization. It has multiple goals, but they don’t necessarily relate to each other at all; in fact, they can be separated by great distances without affecting each other at all. For example, there might be one church with a mission to feed the homeless while another church with a similar mission offers counseling services for addicts. The third type is known as an “umbrella” organization—it’s an umbrella of smaller groups working toward similar goals. For example, there might be one group that works on issues related to poverty and another group that works on raising awareness about hunger in America’s inner cities. The United States has seen a tremendous number of changes in the religious landscape over the past decade. These changes are not only being felt by the nation’s religious institutions, but also by its citizens, who are increasingly seeking out opportunities to engage with their faith communities (Dougherty, 2019). The first major trend is the increase in religious diversity. In the past, it was more common for people to be members of a single religion and go to church every week. This is no longer true; more people are choosing to practice multiple religions and attend services at different times. The second trend is the growth of mega-churches. These churches have grown in size over time, from small storefront churches to large buildings with thousands of attendees every week (Dougherty, 2019). They are often well-known for their music, art, or architecture—and some even build large outdoor parks where people can gather for music or worship.
Religion and culture can work together to help shape a society’s norms and expectations. Religion provides a framework for how people should behave, while culture provides a set of values that are more universal than religious doctrine. For example, many cultures have strict rules about what constitutes appropriate behavior at certain times of the day or in specific situations, like when you’re getting ready to go somewhere or when you’re out with friends. These cultural rules can be quite different from religion’s rules, but they still come from the same source: the feeling that it’s important to act appropriately in certain situations. On the other hand, some religions are much more rigid than others when it comes to rules about what is considered acceptable behavior—and we see this, especially in countries like Saudi Arabia, where women aren’t allowed to drive or even walk around freely without a male relative present. This type of strictness is not only religious; it’s cultural as well because it has its roots in how people want their societies to function.
Part 3: Family
Answer the following questions in 2-3 paragraphs.
What changes have occurred in families over time?
How have traditional families changed in media over time? Mention at least two families that have been portrayed in the media. Include the type of family they are considered based on the textbook.
Include your opinion of the impact this is having on society and families.
What impact do you think the evolution of the traditional family in the media has on society?
Do you think this is a positive or negative change for families? Explain.
Families have changed significantly over time. The first major change was in the Victorian era when the concept of the nuclear family was born. This was when people began to live alone, with their spouse and children, rather than living with extended family members. In modern times, families are more diverse than ever before. They include single parents, same-sex couples, and stepfamilies, as well as traditional nuclear families. Families also include grandparents raising grandchildren, nannies caring for children under age six, and other kinds of caretakers who are not related by blood or marriage. As technology has improved over the years, families have started relying on technology instead of babysitters or nannies to help out around the house. Most people in the United States today live with their parents until they are married and then move out. Before the 1960s, this was not so common. In 1958, only about 12% of Americans lived with their parents until they were married and had children while elderly people may have remained with their parents longer than this (Perry & Whitehead, 2016). By 2016, that number had increased to over 50% (Perry & Whitehead, 2016). Another change is that more people are marrying at a later age than they did previously. In 1960, only 47% of women aged 20-24 were married; by 2016 that number had risen to 85% (Perry & Whitehead, 2016).
Today, however, families are smaller and more mobile than ever before. Most people live alone or with a significant other who works long hours away from home. People of different generations often don’t even know each other personally. Families also tend to be very different from one another. Sometimes they’ll have multiple parents raising children together, but other times it’s just one parent and kids living at home. Some families are very traditional in their outlook—for example, they may believe those good kids shouldn’t watch TV or play video games before bedtime—and others are more liberal with their rules around screen time at all ages (including when kids are still toddlers). Traditional families have changed in media over time, mostly because there is a shift in the way we encounter media. In the past, television was the main source of entertainment for most Americans. It was a reward for good behavior and socialization, as well as a form of passive entertainment. This meant that family life was portrayed as a perfect, unified unit. However, television has been replaced by internet streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime that allow us to watch whatever show or movie we want at any time without having to wait for it to be on TV. This means that traditional families are no longer seen as perfect units and instead are portrayed in more negative ways than before. Although some shows still show families interacting together and working together toward common goals, they also show parents who are neglectful or abusive towards their children (for example: “Black Mirror”). The fact that traditional family values are no longer seen as being synonymous with love also contributes to this change in depiction. There are many different types of families, but most fall under one of two categories: nuclear and extended. Nuclear families consist of parents and children. Extended families generally include grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Both nuclear and extended families can be found in all walks of life: from the wealthy to the working class, from people who are married to those who are not. The reality is that no one family is more or less important than another; it’s all about what the family needs right now.
Media has a profound impact on society and families. It can be used to foster communication, understanding, and cooperation between people in different regions of the world. It can also be used to spread false information that may have serious implications for society as a whole. Media has been used as a means of spreading religious beliefs, political ideologies, and cultural values. This can be seen with television programming where it is common for programs to present a specific view on certain issues or topics. For example, many television shows will show children watching cartoons while parents watch talk shows and news programs together (Joslin, 2009). This allows parents to watch TV together while their children are watching cartoons and allows them to discuss what they see on television with each other. Media also influences how people behave toward each other through the way they treat others because they believe others around them may be influenced by what they see on television or in movies (Joslin, 2009). The evolution of the traditional family in media has had a profound impact on society. As people lose faith in the institution of marriage, they are led to believe that it is not necessary or even beneficial for them to stay together. This leads to increased divorce rates and children being raised in single-parent households. This has created a lack of social support for children who are often left with only one parent after a divorce, which can lead to negative outcomes such as depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. In addition, there is an increased risk for children growing up without their father due to his absence from their lives due to work or other commitments. This can have long-term effects on their development and well-being that can lead them into adulthood with very little knowledge about how to form healthy relationships with other people.
The traditional family in media has been a powerful influence on society, particularly when it comes to the way one views marriage. As children grow up with an increasing number of television and film characters who are single parents, they have been conditioned to believe that this is an acceptable lifestyle option. They also watch their parents’ divorces played out onscreen and learn that it’s not uncommon for marriages to end in divorce. This can hurt children’s ability to form healthy relationships later in life. If they have seen families break apart through divorce or separation, they may be more likely to break up with their partners early on or experience relationship difficulties at some point in their lives. However, there are positive aspects as well. Children see examples of strong marriages between parents and grandparents; these marriages show them how important it is for couples to stay together even when life gets tough.
Conclusion
To conclude it may be inferred that the family, religion, and the institution of education all play crucial roles in maintaining social order. Learning to read, write, and think critically are all outcomes of the educational process. Religion fosters cohesion and morality via shared beliefs. Strength, stability, and direction in one’s life may all be gained through having a strong family unit. The ability to think for oneself and contribute meaningfully to society is strengthened via education. The ability to reason analytically, solve problems, and collaborate effectively are all skills that individuals acquire via education, and which have far-reaching effects on society. Online education has emerged as one of the most significant changes in the educational landscape of the 21st century. Numerous individuals throughout the globe base their identities in large part on their religious beliefs. It gives them direction in life and a feeling of belonging to something bigger than themselves. Over the last decade, there have been many shifts in the religious makeup of the United States. Citizens are also responding to these shifts by looking for new ways to connect with their religious groups, which is having an impact on religious organizations throughout the country. Not only has religion evolved with time, but so, too, have families. Family sizes and mobility have decreased in recent decades. The majority of households consist of a single individual or a couple where both partners have demanding schedules. There is a wide gap in personal acquaintanceship across generations.
References
Alismail, Halah Ahmed and McGuire, Patrick. (2015). 21st Century Standards and Curriculum: Current Research and Practice. Journal of Education and Practice www.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online). Vol.6, No.6, 2015
Dougherty, M. W. (2019). New scholarship in religion and United States empire. Religion Compass, 13(5), e12316. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec3.12316
Joslin, Courtney G. (2009). The Evolution of the American Family. www.americanbar.org. https://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/publications/human_rights_magazine_home/hu man_rights_vol36_2009/summer
Perry, S. L., & Whitehead, A. L. (2016). Religion and Non-traditional Families in the United States. Sociology Compass, 10(5), 391–403. https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12370
Wobbekind, R. L. (2012). On the Importance of Education. Business Economics, 47(2), 90–96. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2349177
