ABSTRACT

The consideration of social change and of cultural stability are closely linked that an analysis of one, being an artificial abstraction from the real world, almost inevitably leads back to some facet of the other. This chapter looks at the manner in which education plays a part in transmitting culture. Next, it examines how the educational system produces and mediates ideas that might bring about change. The chapter examines why schools are so slow to change, what strategies may be used to overcome the given tardiness and whether or not the school's conservatism tends to squash individual creativity. It further examines the sources of change, and shows that the conflict between the younger and the older generations is but one amongst a host of sources of unplanned and autonomous change. Finally, it considers the ways in which schools both react to change and produce innovators.