Role of Family, Society, Educational Institutions in Inculcating Values

Sociology for RAS Mains GS Paper 1

Role of Family, Society, Educational Institutions in Inculcating Values | Values are basic and fundamental beliefs that guide or motivate attitudes or actions. They help us to determine what is important to us. Values describe the personal qualities we choose to embody to guide our actions; the sort of person we want to be; the manner in which we treat ourselves and others, and our interaction with the world around us. They provide the general guidelines for conduct.

Values in a narrow sense are that which is good, desirable, or worthwhile. Values are the motive behind purposeful action. They are the ends to which we act and come in many forms. Personal values are personal beliefs about right and wrong and may or may not be considered moral. Cultural values are values accepted by religions or societies and reflect what is important in each context.

Values are universal as they are shared by all the individuals regardless of their nationality, religion, gender, culture or history. Values can be:-

  • Innate – values due to our genes and conscience.
  • Acquired – values imparted by social institutions and influences.

Values can be inculcated very easily in early childhood and they have a long lasting impact on the conduct of the individual for their entire life. Values are developed through various agencies:-

  • Family (first agent but is informal)
  • Educational Institutions (first formal agency)
  • Society or peer group
  • Religion/culture
  • Media, etc.

The beliefs and values are imparted by family, society, educational institutions which ultimately leads to the change of attitude and behaviour of an individual.

Role of Family in Inculcating Values

Family is the most important platform and foundation for a child to learn values. They are the first set of individuals that one interacts with. Children identify with their parents and other family members and adopt them as their personal models by emulation and imitation.

Social standards and customs defined by a family provide the emotional and physical basis for a child. It leads to a disciplined and organized life. Family prepares an individual to the face the real world and equip them with all the essentials needed to cope with social others.

A child with a good sense of right and wrong are less likely to become sufferers of deviant influences. Ex.- Drug addiction. Values like Kindness, Love, Compassion, Respect, Tolerance etc. can inculcated through family values.

A bad familial experience can seriously hamper the development of moral and mental capabilities of an individual. Family, being the primary and major agency of socialization sets the pattern for the child’s perspective towards. Folks and society, aids intellectual growth within the kid and supports his aspirations and sensible values. 

Some of the values and ways that facilitate up inciting kid in an exceedingly harmonious setting.

  • Family provides informal way of learning. Love, compassion, self-sacrifice and values of sharing and caring develop implicitly within a child.
  • Praise and encourage exploring.
  • Children observe and unconsciously imbibe values. Looking at the mother who cooks and care for whole family values of compassion is imbibed. If female members are treated with respect in the family then respect for women is inculcated in the child.
  • Set realistic goals for them.
  • Acts itself as a task model.
  • Sensitize youngsters towards weaker and marginalized sections. 
  • Set non-secular and cultural values for youngsters. 
  • Forbids indulgence in dishonest deeds.
  • Helps youngsters to develop the sense of discrimination between right and wrong so they might develop their own judgment.

Effect of Styles of Parenting on Values:

Styles of parenting also play an important part to discipline children and inculcating values in them. They are:-

  1. Authoritative – believe in restricting the autonomy of their children and imposing the value system on them. It can lead to less empathetic, biased, self centered child.
  2. Democratic – deal with their children in rational and issue oriented manner. It also provide for positive re-enforcement on display of children’s behavior. Objectiveness, impartiality, tolerance, patience, etc. can be seen in such children.
  3. Permissive – it is characterized by neglect, apathy and non- involvement of parents. Children can develop negative values and follow negative role models.

Role of Teachers and Educational Institutions

“ Education which does not mould character is wholly worthless.”

Gandhi Ji

Education is an effective and pervasive phenomenon for all round individual development and social transformation. A balanced development of mind and body in harmony with enhancement of human personality with value based education to achieve higher levels of consciousness.

Since the ancient times, the value education is being manifested and upheld in the society through the Vedas, Upanishads, Epics, Buddhist moral code of conduct, etc. More importance was given to Morality, Honesty, Duty, Brotherhood, Friendship, etc.

Education plays as an important driver to enhance values.

  • Science increases rational thinking and questioning of old age beliefs.
  • Literature helps us understand human nature and prevalent social values of a given era.
  • An account of life history of great leaders like Gandhi’s train journey to Pretoria shows how he stood against injustice.
  • Content of a textbook plays important role in imparting value system.
  • Education also teaches important values through stories and real life examples. For example, lesson on Hellen Keller teaches importance of grit and determination despite hardships.

Educational institutions help children in development of:-

  • Cognitive and psychomotor skills – through curricular activities
  • Social and interpersonal skills – through extra-curricular activities.

It is the place where the seeds of discipline, devotion, commitment are planted and fostered with deliberate efforts.

Teachers serve as the role models to students in schools and they play a major role in inculcating ethical behavior in them.

  • Values like team work, leadership etc. are inculcated.
  • Gokhale was a political guru of Gandhi and in many ways he shaped the ideology and outlook of Gandhi towards India and life.
  • If teacher is promoting his private coaching class during official class in the school, he is indirectly imparting materialistic.
  • A child who was unduly punished by the teacher will develop a wrong attitude.

Role of Society in Inculcating Values

You know that as individuals grow older, their social worlds expand. They begin to look outside their homes and toward other individuals in their neighbourhood as their companions for play and for sharing their mental thoughts. The neighborhood is where individuals spend most of their time besides their homes and schools. The concept of neighbourhood has both physical and social meanings. But the social meaning is more important, as it is characterized by the social similarities of individuals.

Following values can be attached to society:

  • Man lives in society for his mental and intellectual development. Society preserves our culture and transmits it to succeeding generations.
  • Society brings morality and ethics in individuals.
  • Individual discipline is brought by society via sanctions and rewards.
  • It brings tolerance and national integration.
  • Society removes the evils of social indifferences like caste through collective struggle.
  • The society imbibes conformity.

Role of Family, Society, Educational Institutions in Inculcating Values

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