• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • AMERICAN DEMOCRACY
  • WORLD DEMOCRACY
  • POLITICAL ART
  • more
    • election technology
    • money politics
    • political dissidents
    • THIRD PARTY
      • third party central
      • green party
      • justice party
      • libertarian party
    • voting methods
  • DC INFO
    • author central
    • about
    • advertise with DC
    • contact
    • privacy policy

Democracy Chronicles

Politics of Education: El Ritual de lo Habitual

by Aydasara Ortega - February 29, 2016

FacebookTweetLinkedInPin

“I’d rather see the others.”
“What others?”
“The ones who make it.”

– Octavia Butler. Kindred

El Ritual de lo Habitual
All collages by Aydasara Ortega

All societies are concerned with educating their members. All are preoccupied with their skills and knowledge development perceived to be indispensable for survival and productivity. Thus, one of any society’s main goals is to carry on customary societal standards, train people for societal roles, and assign them with specific societal positions. And let’s not forget, all societies are attentive to embedding in all members an allegiance to the social system. In many countries, such as the United States, educational institutions are a main mean for achieving this. “See how easily slaves are made? (Octavia Butler. Kindred)”

And then it happens that debate arises. For instance, most politicians interested in the institution of education focus on the structure of the system, including the functions performed, the roles played by the various groups and individuals involved, the processes operating within the system, and the pressures from other parts of society that influence the system. “Repressive societies always seemed to understand the danger of ‘wrong’ ideas.”

El Ritual de lo HabitualOf primary concern is the role education plays in providing the opportunities we have in society. Thus, some politicians raise questions regarding the lack of equality in educational opportunities. Many argue that opportunity is not equal for all who pursue education, and that we lose many “productive citizens” in the process.

Likewise, questions of who gets what training and for what kind of positions come forth for debate. Competition for entrance into what are considered “good schools” and “top universities” is keen, as education – in most countries – is viewed as key to a better life and more opportunities. Some assume that if we change aspects of the system we can start to remedy the limited access for so many to exactly that: “a better life and more opportunities”. Others see a need to change the whole social structure before we can begin to work towards reducing any kind of inequality.

Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that a crucial query for those that take time to wonder and speak up is why the dominant groups in society still have educational advantages over marginalized groups, and therefore a lead in the job market and income earning capacity. “It was dangerous to educate slaves, they warned.”

As we listen and analyze the proposals of all candidates, we should consider questions like the following: What causes inequality in education? In society? What are the consequences? What solutions do all candidates propose? What am I doing?

El Ritual de lo Habitual

FacebookTweetLinkedInPin

Filed Under: DC Authors Tagged With: Education, Racism and Prejudice, Socialism and Labor, Worldwide

About Aydasara Ortega

Aydasara Ortega Torres writes for Democracy Chronicles from New York. She is a Faculty Member of Psychology at the College of Mount Saint Vincent. Also take a look at her website for more of her work.

Some highlighted Democracy Chronicles topics

Africa American Corruption American Local Elections American State Elections Asia Capitalism and Big Business Celebrity Politics China Democracy Charity Democracy Protests Democrats Dictatorships Education Election History Election Methods Election Security Election Transparency Europe Internet and Democracy Journalism and Free Speech Middle East Minority Voting Rights Money Politics New York City and State Elections Political Artwork Political Dissidents Political Lobbying Redistricting Republicans Russia Socialism and Labor Social Media and Democracy South America Spying and Privacy Supreme Court Third Party Voter Access Voter ID Voter Registration Voter Suppression Voter Turnout Voting Technology Women Voting Rights Worldwide Worldwide Corruption

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. andrea mosley ma.ed says

    February 29, 2016 at 7:00 pm

    professor ortega
    As usual you have succeeded where most fall short. Education of self is key to the progress of all. If we look at our presidential candidates for example we see a grave example of the miseducation and the use of money for power instead of an intellectual representation of our country.
    If we fail to use what lies within the pages of a book and instead rely on the web/google to define us we will be a society and country lost to the archaic views of few rather than the melting pot of many.
    Kudos again for taking a stand in our collective fight of equality in the classroom AND the boardroom.:-)

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Home | DC AUTHORS | Politics of Education: El Ritual de lo Habitual

Primary Sidebar

Advertise button

Harnessing The Power Of “We The People” On Independence Day

By Jenna Spinelle July 3, 2022

Democracy does not have a singular definition, which is one of the things that makes it so interesting to me — and undoubtedly to many of you.

Florida Doesn’t Need a Speech Czar

By Steve Schneider June 28, 2022

Full disclosure: I’m a liberal Democrat. So, I won’t be sending in my vote-by-mail ballot for Ron DeSantis in November. Nor will I vote for him in 2024.

democracy chronicles newsletter

DC AUTHORS

Introducing: When The People Decide

By Jenna Spinelle June 25, 2022

Several activists and average citizens have changed their communities and the country by taking important issues directly to votes.

Democracy’s Summer Blockbusters

By Jenna Spinelle June 8, 2022

The summer will be legally and politically charged particularly with the January 6 committee hearings scheduled to begin June 9.

Can American Democracy Have Nice Things?

By Jenna Spinelle June 7, 2022

Universal voting would be the surest way to protect against voter suppression and the active disenfranchisement of a large share of our citizens.

PODCAST: Baby Boomers And American Gerontocracy

By Jenna Spinelle May 23, 2022

Older and younger voters are increasingly at odds: Republicans as a whole skew gray-haired, and within the Democratis, the left-leaning youth vote.

A Dangerous Reprise Of American Exceptionalism In Ukraine

By Jamie Lampidis May 15, 2022

The stakes are too high to cave into Putin’s phantasmatic imperial play, and too high to believe that this war can be won by arming Ukrainians.

On The Coming End Of Roe v. Wade

By Peter J. Dellolio May 11, 2022

Anyone who says that the evolution of law has nothing to do with politics is either very corrupt or very stupid. Laws evolved through the centuries.

Goodbye Roe v. Wade, Goodbye Rule Of Law

By Andrew Straw May 5, 2022

Congress should impeach judges who act like that because it is not good behavior, and they were asked not to act that way when they were confirmed.

MORE FROM OUR AUTHORS

VISIT OUR POLITICAL ART SECTION:

dc political art

DEMOCRACY CULTURE

India: Why Are Punjab Political Singers Under Attack?

India: Why Are Punjab Political Singers Under Attack?

June 8, 2022

The murder of Sidhu Moose Wala has brought attention to the link between Punjabi music and India’s cross-border criminal networks.

University Educated Less Likely To Endorse Authoritarianism

University Educated Less Likely To Endorse Authoritarianism

June 4, 2022

Higher education is now seen as a new political cleavage, with level of education increasingly important in describing political attitudes.

From Cake To Volunteers, Welcome To Australia’s Democracy Day

From Cake To Volunteers, Welcome To Australia’s Democracy Day

May 25, 2022

The atmosphere in the interstate polling booth in Sydney’s inner east resembled that of an emergency room waiting for a donor organ.

Kenyan 'Cartooning For Peace' To Draw Africa Towards Democracy

Kenyan ‘Cartooning For Peace’ To Draw Africa Towards Democracy

May 17, 2022

Cartooning is an art that has been playing a major role in illustrating stories in different ways, from health to politics, and even sports.

Anxious Leaders Influence Their Followers' Anxiety, Even Online

Anxious Leaders Influence Their Followers’ Anxiety, Even Online

May 17, 2022

Organizational leader’s tweets can influence employee anxieties and this effect is more prominent since the rise of COVID-19, study.

MORE CULTURE

VISIT OUR US DEMOCRACY SECTION:

American Democracy