Educational expansion

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The educational expansion, which has shaped the social change particularly in the last decades, describes the strong expansion of the secondary and tertiary areas of the education system. The increased participation in higher education areas leads to a “higher qualification of the population” or, from a sociological point of view, to a “shift upwards”.

Germany

The expansion of education began in the FRG in the 1950s and increased continuously from this point onwards, with individual phases of stagnation. Above all, the value of education for economic growth and the associated benefits for society contributed to this development. As a result, education can be described as “human capital […] and […] citizenship”. The secondary school developed into a residual school due to the educational expansion. While it accepted 79% of all students in 1952, in 2012 it was only 15% of eighth graders. The participation figures in grammar schools, on the other hand, developed in the opposite direction to those in secondary schools or elementary schools. In 1952, 13% of students attended grammar school, compared to 37% in 2012. It is assumed that in the next few years Hauptschulen will even disappear completely from the German education system. The number of high school diplomas and graduates with a technical college entrance qualification have also multiplied in the last few decades, which has resulted in a ten times higher percentage of those entitled to study than in 1960. This shift has increasingly worsened the prospects of young people who end their school career without a secondary school leaving certificate. The number of these young people has decreased sharply in percentage terms, but those affected have to reckon with dire consequences, such as very poor chances on the job market.

causes

The cause of the educational expansion can primarily be explained by the population's growing need for qualifications. This phenomenon was driven by technical and scientific progress within society, which resulted in special skills and knowledge becoming increasingly important. This need for qualifications was also influenced by the increasingly multifaceted areas of responsibility in business, society and politics as well as the relevance of international alliances. Theoretical knowledge can therefore be represented graphically as the engine of economic and social development.

Another decisive cause of the educational expansion is the competition between people for higher social positions and the associated compulsion to obtain higher educational qualifications. Particularly determined, strong-willed people use this educational lead to secure their status and, given the increasing number of competitors with equal or even higher educational qualifications, have to restore their social status through educational expenditure. This is directly related to the selection made by employers. Higher-level qualifications indicate to the employer special skills and knowledge that could be of use in the profession. As a result, having a good and meaningful education certificate increases the chances of finding the desired job.

consequences

The social, cultural and socio-structural changes that can be seen as a consequence of the educational expansion are manifold. Economy and prosperity are directly related to the level of education, knowledge and skills of a population. A higher level of education leads to financial and economic growth in the country, which is why education can also be seen as the key to a society's wealth. This, in turn, can be justified by the fact that individuals with a higher education can work more effectively. As a result, the educational expansion not only has a positive effect on the respective country, but also has great individual benefits. However, this positive result cannot be universally confirmed, especially since the state of the labor market (relationship between supply and demand) also has a significant influence on economic growth.

A major change can also be seen in the context of education and politics. The overall higher level of education leads to a growing interest in politics and encouraged the political and critical thinking of the population. In addition, the individual's ability to process and analyze political and social information improved. The political knowledge gained as a result is mainly reflected in the participation figures for demonstrations and other political activities.

With regard to equal opportunities, women in particular benefited from the educational expansion. In recent years, even more women than men have graduated from high school. However, the chosen school career is still very much dependent on social origin. In 2010, 60% of high school students had parents with a high school diploma, while only 8% of high school students had parents with a secondary school certificate.

According to Becker, the reason for this phenomenon is mainly based on the “shift-specific cost-benefit calculation”. This states that individuals from lower classes, for fear of failing higher school forms, rarely invest in education.

In addition, more and more young people are lingering in the education system before starting a particular profession. This phase between adolescence and adulthood, which usually takes place between the ages of 18 and 29, is known as postadolescence .

Furthermore, a high level of education contributes to better control and reflection, i.e. to act autonomously. Because of this, a pluralism arises in society that relates not only to values, but also to the different ways of life.

It can also be empirically proven that the health of a society is directly related to its level of education and that the population is growing more slowly. This can mainly be explained by later births, increasing childlessness and the declining number of children per woman.

See also

literature

  • Rainer Geißler: The social structure of Germany. Springer VS, Wiesbaden 2014.
  • Rolf Becker: Textbook of the sociology of education . VS Verlag, Wiesbaden 2011.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Rainer Geissler: The social structure of Germany . Springer VS, Wiesbaden 2014, p. 334 .
  2. ↑ a b Rainer Geissler: The social structure of Germany . Springer VS, Wiesbaden 2014, p. 342 .
  3. ^ Rainer Geissler: The social structure of Germany . Springer VS, Wiesbaden 2014, p. 335 .
  4. ^ Rainer Geissler: The social structure of Germany . Springer VS, Wiesbaden 2014, p. 336 .
  5. ^ A b c Rainer Geissler: The social structure of Germany . Springer VS, Wiesbaden 2014, p. 343 .
  6. ^ Rolf Becker: Textbook of the sociology of education . VS Verlag, Wiesbaden 2011, p. 209 .
  7. ^ A b Rolf Becker: Textbook of the sociology of education . VS Verlag, Wiesbaden 2011, p. 211 .
  8. ^ A b Rolf Becker: Textbook of the sociology of education . VS Verlag, Wiesbaden 2011, p. 212 .
  9. ↑ Statistical Yearbook 2011: Life in Germany - Today and 60 Years ago. In: Destatis. October 5, 2011, accessed November 1, 2017 .
  10. ^ A b Rolf Becker: Textbook of the sociology of education . VS Verlag, Wiesbaden 2011, p. 213 .
  11. ↑ a b Rainer Geissler: The social structure of Germany . Springer VS, Wiesbaden 2014, p. 344 .
  12. ^ Rainer Geissler: The social structure of Germany . Springer VS, Wiesbaden 2011, p. 345 .