The Role of Teachers in Promoting Social Commitment (BLAC002)

 

The Role of Teachers in Promoting Social Commitment

In the present-day crisis of values and lifestyle in public space, forming youth in civic consciousness and social commitment is important and, for this, teachers have a special role to play

                                                                  Dr. Edward Edezhath (Edward.edezhath@gmail.com)

It has become a cliché to speak of the crisis in contemporary times. Whether writing on the walls of time is good news or bad news the concern is mounting in the minds of people. It is pertinent to ask, ‘what is the prime concern in the public sphere?’ Today crisis, for sure, brings to mind the falling rupee. Down slide of the currency, rising pricing, crisis in petroleum market, all raise alarm bells. Politicians differ on the quantum, but there is unanimity on the fact that large section of our society is still starving. These days the Indian Parliament has steered forward the historic ‘Food Security Bill’. There also worried whispers on health concerns: recurrence of epidemics, fast growing incidence of some types of cancer, newer forms of sicknesses and rapidly growing adverse health condition called ‘lifestyle diseases'. On another angle environmental and ecological concerns steadily grow in most of the thinking sections of the society and, at least for states like Kerala, an agrarian crisis also looms large. May be a far greater concern for all is some of the distressing signals in the public sphere with their serious moral implications: criminal mentality and violent incidents are growing, numerous incidents of sexual assaults are being reported and even leaders of very high stature are being implicated in scams, bribery cases and fraudulent deals of enormous proportions.

Here we are, teachers, by the very nature of our profession concerned with future and future quality. Alexander the Great has been quoted to indicate this teacher concern for quality: “I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well”. This dimension of transmission of values in teaching is phrased with greater clarity by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe when he said, "A teacher who can arouse a feeling for one single good action, for one single good poem, accomplishes more than he who fills our memory with rows and rows of natural objects, classified with name and form." In today’s disquieting context of moral turpitude here we have an opportunity to reflect on our response as teachers. I would like to congratulate St Xavier’s College for organizing this workshop with a most relevant theme.

Contemporary Generation and Social Commitment

It is an oft repeated question, may be in a variety of forms, “How far is the social orientation of today’s youth?” or “How socially committed are today’s youth?” Often, we hear remarks to the effect that today’s children and youth are steadily becoming withdrawn and self-centered. Nuclear, single-child families, working parents with limited or no time for children, growing dependence on TV for child rearing, fast expanding cyber space, highly enticing and attention drawing digital game world, complex forms of competition, lack of relevant social groups are all significant new realities that have had serious impact on the social orientation of today’s younger generation. But the answer to the question raised above may be varied. On the one hand self-centered attitudes, growing rebellion and withdrawn nature of greater sections may hint at an increasing negative trend. On a positive note, friendship groups and depth commitment have increased and generosity in the face of calamities as well as perceived distress and poverty are also growing. Obsession with personal success may be fast growing, contrariwise sublime stories of unneighborly concern and committed groups of philanthropy are also increasing. These mixed signals at the least calls for certain criteria to clearly talk about social orientation and commitment.

Describing Social Commitment

The phrase social commitment brings to mind a host of images ranging from social activists like Anna Hazare or Medha Patkar, political workers and people representatives, charity initiatives and social workers, human right educators, media workers to project volunteers and unneighborly kind heartedness. On the flip side in an age of scams present everywhere even social activism and social service is seen as an ingenious façade and gimmick for easy earning, public acceptance and popularity. There surely is a growing perception that outward social commitment without personal integrity is possible. This in background, while considering the need for promoting social commitment in the context of higher education there has to be a more comprehensive understanding and description of social commitment.

In the Autumn of 2007, at initiative of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC & U) 23,000 college students and 9,000 faculty and staff from 23 institutions participated in an assessment of the campus environment with regard to personal and social responsibility. Its aim was to reclaim and revitalize the academy's role in fostering students' development of personal and social responsibility. It was "It is designed to help campuses create learning environments in which all students reach for excellence in the use of their talents, take responsibility for the integrity and quality of their work, and engage in meaningful practices that prepare them to fulfill their obligations as students in an academic community and as responsible global and local citizens"[1].

The major outcome of this campus climate survey was a set of two finding. Firstly, across all categories, students and campus professionals strongly agreed that personal and social responsibility should be a major focus of a college education. Secondly, across all groups surveyed, far fewer individuals agreed that personal and social responsibility was currently a major focus on their campus. There was a clear gap between what they perceive “should be” and what “is.”

The Civic Learning Spiral

An American initiative in field of higher education proposes a somewhat comprehensive model which can evoke challenging ideas and indicate clearer direction to assess social commitment as well as to point directions for promoting this among the younger generation. The model has a set of 6 elements and is understood to be a spiral of six braids that are intertwined and develop together. It is significant that they are not seen as 6 steps that come one after or above the other. The model has ample input for clearer understanding of social commitment and the direction that an education towards social commitment should assume. Furthermore, any learning should result in clearer behavioral change and so the model of Civic Learning Spiral enlists the ‘outcomes’ under each element of civic learning.

As part of AAC&U’s five-year initiative called Greater Expectations: Goals for Learning as a Nation Goes to College, Caryn Musil worked with team that developed this Civic Learning Spiral. The spiral, whose origins are in the learner, has six elements, or braids. These elements are 1) self, 2) communities and cultures, 3) knowledge, 4) values, 5) skills, and 6) public action. The civic learning outcomes for the six braids of the spiral for the purposes of integration into a wide range of courses and co-curricular experiences are[2]:

1) Self: Outcomes for civic learning about the self:

• Understanding that the self is always embedded in relationships, a social location, and a specific historic moment.

• Awareness of ways one’s identity is connected to inherited and self-chosen communities.

• Ability to express one’s voice to affect change.

• Disposition to become active in what a person cares about.

• Capacity to stand up for oneself and one’s passionate commitments

2) Communities and Cultures: Outcomes for civic learning about communities and cultures:

• Appreciation of the rich resources and accumulated wisdom of diverse communities and cultures

• Understanding how communities can also exclude, judge, and restrict

• Curiosity to learn about the diversity of groups locally and globally

• Willingness to move from the comfort zone to the contact zone by transgressing boundaries that divide

• Capacity to describe comparative civic traditions expressed within and by different cultural groups

3) Knowledge: Outcomes for civic learning about knowledge:

•Recognition that knowledge is dynamic, changing, and consistently re- evaluated

•Understanding that knowledge is socially constructed and implicated with power

•Familiarity with key historical struggles, campaigns, and social movements to achieve the full promise of democracy

•Deep knowledge about the fundamental principles of and central arguments about democracy over time as expressed in [one’s own nation] and in other countries

•Ability to describe the main civic intellectual debates within one’s major

4) Knowledge: Outcomes for civic learning about skills:

• Adeptness at critical thinking, conflict resolution, and cooperative methods

• Ability to listen eloquently and speak confidently

• Skills in deliberation, dialogue, and community building

• Development of a civic imagination

• Capacity to work well across multiple differences

5) Values: Outcomes for civic learning about values:

• Serious exploration of and reflection about core animating personal values

• Examination of personal values in the context of promoting the public good

• Espousal of democratic aspirations of equality, opportunity, liberty, and justice

• Development of affective qualities of character, integrity, empathy, and hope

• Ability to negotiate traffic at the intersection where worlds collide

6) Public Action: Outcomes for civic learning about public action:

• Understanding of, commitment to, and ability to live in communal contexts

• Disposition to create and participate in democratic governance structures of school, college, and the community

• Disciplined civic practices that lead to constructive participation in the communities in which one lives and works

• Formulation of multiple strategies for action (service, advocacy, policy-change) to accomplish public ends/purposes

• Planning, carrying out, and reflecting upon public action

• Development of the moral and political courage to take risks to achieve the public good

• Determination to raise ethical issues and questions in and about public life.

Preparing young people for Social Commitment

Institutions of higher education has often provided fertile setting for the formation of individuals with social commitment and also for the development of initiatives and movements geared for social transformation. Consciously anticipated or not university or college period is a time of momentous and often transforming learning. That period of life and challenging context are also a significant phase in a person’s social development, which may take different turns, sometimes with desirable and in other cases with very disturbing consequences. Here a young man or woman develops a new identity and vision for life, begin and consolidate new relationships, introduced into a whole new culture, certain habits and styles are learnt, important values and attitudes develop and certain of the lifelong commitments are also developed at this period. On the other hand, the person may also be exposed to shattering experiences, injurious ideologies and relationships and unfavorable attitudes and commitments at this period.

Preparation for social commitment is a conscious, positive action in campus, often a deliberate initiative by an individual, group or network, mostly prompted by a vision and more or less clear plan. Promoting social commitment may be project based and geared towards some focused outcome, like an eco-friendly initiative in a locality or a nearby slum development project, or it may be part of a more or less broad spectrum set of initiatives of some social action-oriented group, or part of a general educative process. But what are some of the elements of an effective preparation process that leads to social commitment? An individual is at the heart of this learning process and effectiveness at that end is the main focus.

1.      Awareness that Social Commitment is a lifelong learning: For long lasting commitment a person as well as the educator should see social commitment not merely as a temporary involvement, but an orientation of life that should be continued to be attended to and built up.

2.      It requires proper self-esteem and growing self-awareness: A developing skill of reflecting about oneself in the context of one’s immediate relationships and the wider society lays the foundation for personal priorities. Knowing one’s uniqueness, intrinsic value and orientations will lay the foundation for a ‘complex’ free and effective commitment if life.

3.      It develops in a community of like-minded people: Humans are social animals, yet youth are specially embedded in relational networks. Relational learning for them is more effective and enduring. A homogenously oriented community is the most suitable context to develop new attitudes, learn new skills and acquire challenging commitments.

4.      There has to be a culture of interaction, critical assessment and action: A person is prepared for commitment in a context where he or she witnesses certain basic values in operation. A culture of mutual acceptance and encouragement; tolerance to difference of attitudes and opinions; experience of interactions and relationships rooted in freedom as well as outshining values will provide a setting for positive development of the person as well as his/her responsibility in the society.

5.      Relevant information and exposure prepares one for commitment: Contemporary times are dubbed as ‘Age of information’. Truly channels of knowledge enrichment are galore. Yet suitable input and information that will develop a newer understanding of social realities only will cultivate suitable thinking, orientation and deep desire for social commitment.

6.      Value clarification and character formation are essential for commitment: A genuine commitment springs from deep conviction and resultant lifestyle. Opportunities in the form of personal interaction or activities in group settings that lead towards value clarification and interiorizing of these are essential for laying foundations for commitment.

7.      Inspiring models and insightful as well as transforming encounters lead to action: Developing commitment is a significant learning. Such a learning comes from a wholesome exposure leading to deep personal transformation. A deep experience or an emotionally involved encounter results in such a personal transformation. This could be an encounter with a highly motivated person and/or a deeply moving need or situation. Providing such an exposure is a key in the promotion of commitment.

8.      Opportunities for hands-on experience and direct involvement launches into commitment: Thanks to the media and other channels of interaction the level of social and need awareness is fairly high in contemporary times. But people seldom get openings for interaction with situations requiring social intervention nor find individuals and groups that effectively carry-on undertaking relating to social commitments. Providing such involvement and practical experience will further social commitment.

9.      Social commitment is nurtured through relevant follow up and networking: A stand-alone exposure to social intervention many may have, but that is rarely developed into an enduring mainly because of the dearth of continued follow up and forging of connections to those who effectively carry on such mission. Awareness that life and its context changes and social commitment can develop and take new forms is essential for rooting as well as fruition of social commitment.

Committed Teachers to build committed youth and enlightened society

It has been a moot question, if teachers would become irrelevant with the advent of the new information or even infotainment technologies. One thing is for sure, with the rapid changes in the mode of acquiring knowledge the role of teacher is fast changing. Some teachers are becoming irrelevant and others a burden and even a liability to the learners. But a set of teachers continue to be relevant and even highly sought after, not just for their knowledge proficiency, but more for their skill to motivate the growing generation. The oft quoted classification of teachers by William Arthur Ward thus becomes all the more pertinent, “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains.  The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires”.

An area of inspiration most urgently required today is no doubt inspiration for social commitment. As Edmund Burke remarked, “All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing”. What the nation dreams of is a revival of the culture of the breed of noble teachers who are committed in their lives and have the skill and vision to evoke enduring commitment in the life of the young generation. Our nation needs it all the more as it faces itself with an ominous crisis, a crisis in terms of values and lifestyles. Only teacher can intervene to set a new direction.

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Dr Edward A. Edezhath (edward.edezhath@gmail.com)

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[1] Dey, Eric L. and Associates. “Should Colleges Focus More on Personal and Social Responsibility?” AAC&U: Ann Arbor, 2008

[2] Musil, Caryn McTighe.  Educating Students for Personal and Social Responsibility: The Civic Learning Spiral. <http://keycenter.unca.edu/sites/keycenter.unca.edu/files/Jacoby_CivicEngagement_31.pdf> Accessed 20 Aug 2013.