Education and Recent Social Issues

Everyone in the world is exposed to the many different kinds of situation and problems facing the society today. As each of us is also brought to varied schools of thought and philosophies, we have varying techniques in dealing with any kind of situations. Some of us may be strong and patient enough to wait until chance gives us the opportunity to be worry-free, while others just do it using the way they thought it easy and effective. Dewey believed that there is an intimate connection between education and social action in a democracy. He stressed that each student should be how to be problem-solvers by helping students learn how to think rather than simply learning rote lessons about large amounts of information. In Dewey's view, schools should focus on judgment rather than knowledge so that school children become adults who can "pass judgments pertinently and discriminatingly on the problems of human living" (Campbell, 1995, p. 215-216). Dewey also believed that schools should help students learn to live and to work cooperatively with others. In School and Society he wrote, "In a complex society, ability to understand and sympathize with the operations and lot of others is a condition of common purpose which only education can procure."
Looking closely on his philosophy, Dewey coined the idea of progressive education. One can see that through the constant changes happening in the society, each individual sent to school should be knowledgeable on how to deal with his/her individual problems. Through constant social interactions, the individual sees that he/she is directly involve in the lives of others that is why he/she looks as well on others lives and considers this as he/she tackles the problem. This is very much true in what is happening in the world at present. All of us are affected by the social norms and dictates in the society. In view of this, each of us performs our distinct way of responding and reacting to these stimuli in the manner we think is good. However we did it, we should be aware that all of the society is affected.
Say for example a farmer who is raising grains. He plants the grain in anticipation that he could use this to satisfy his hunger and that some more extra can be utilized to start trading and business. On the process, a storm came that affected almost all of his crops. Whatever was left, he may either have scarce or limited number of it that can only be utilized for personal consumption, or to ensure return of investment, and he may trade the product at a higher price than usual. Had there been smooth process, he could have more than enough and that he can very well share the product to others. This situation is common to us all. As this process is repeated, the farmer hopes that such calamity will not happen again. If ever, he shall make sure that he is ready to face it with the necessary steps to at least prevent disastrous results. This, I think, is the universal law of economics. Considering that it involves basic needs of people and people themselves, then it involves the society.
In this process, Dewey’s concept of continuous social interaction, reconstruction, and processes are very much demonstrated. The farmer looks at the situation at present and handles it in his most effective way. When the same process happens, the farmer reconstructs his ideas, adjusting it to however the situation calls for it. He devises better way of appropriating techniques and strategies in order to diminish the likeliness of problem repetition or the worsening of any unconceived situation. It is in this view that progressive thinking is applicable.