Social Barometers: Predictors for Global Societies
Diane Waldron
Eastern Connecticut State University
A stark fact becomes glaringly evident upon examination of the various social barometers assigned for this week’s study. Simply put, while some societies embrace the process of becoming ever more globally oriented, upon this Earth many people still must focus more upon their own day to day survival (Afrobarometer Communications, 2015). This brings to mind Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, 2007), which in part theorizes that basic physical survival needs must be met before education can even be considered. Furthermore, in other societies, some within Eastern and Southeastern Asia, fledgling democracies do not meet the needs of citizens regarding a sense of personal safety necessary to allow people to make education a priority (Youth and Democratic Citizenship in East and South-East Asia, 2014).
The 2014 Social Progress Index (The Social Progress Imperative, 2014) data tables provide a graphic illustration of which countries are mired in subsistence, unable to make progress educationally, technologically, or socially. The paradox here is that a better educated society would be better equipped to address the problems holding those countries back from modernization; however, those countries are least able to educate their citizens, whether because of social strife, lack of basic needs, political upheaval, or other more pressing survival concerns. No one is surprised to find that world leader countries, such as the United States, Canada, the Russian Federation, and many European countries are also leading the world in educational attainment for men and women (The Social Progress Imperative, 2014). What many people in first world countries, myself included, do not consider with enough gravity is how we are increasingly interconnected upon this planet. No country left behind should be our motto, and if we are going to survive, thrive, and move forward as one race, the human race, those of us who live in advantaged countries must, not should, but must take action to assist our brothers and sisters around the world.
In areas such as Eastern and Southeastern Asia, where democracy is beginning to take hold, barriers to modernization are less about survival, and more about personal safety, or a feeling of trust in government (Youth and Democratic Citizenship in East and South-East Asia, 2014). Although not all countries in this area of the world are developing at the same rate, those with a large population under age thirty are becoming increasingly more involved in politics (Youth and Democratic Citizenship in East and South-East Asia, 2014). The youth, those under the age of thirty, have been the momentum behind increased urbanization and use of technology in some areas of Eastern and Southeastern Asia (Youth and Democratic Citizenship in East and South-East Asia, 2014), and these young people demonstrate a keen interest and desire to be active in the developing democratic processes of their governing bodies. Studies (Youth and Democratic Citizenship in East and South-East Asia, 2014) indicate that a higher level of educational attainment correlates positively with involvement in politics in Eastern and Southeastern Asian citizens. The study cites a call for “civic education” (Youth and Democratic Citizenship in East and South-East Asia, 2014) in schools, beginning at a young age, to help citizens develop the skills necessary to participate fully in a democratic society. This reminds me of my own country’s Thomas Jefferson, and Horace Mann, both of whom believed in the necessity of an educated citizenry to uphold a democracy.
We may live in a first world democratic society, however, in our own state of Connecticut a gap in educational achievement exists that is based upon the economic status of students and school districts (Gilchrist and Horowitz, 2013). According to Gilchrist and Horowitz (2013), this gap begins before pre-kindergarten, and can actually be ameliorated by enrollment in high-quality pre-kindergarten (p. 33)…which may not be available to the economically disadvantaged children who would truly benefit from such experiences. Gilchrist and Horowitz (2013) claim that the achievement gap between wealthy and economically disadvantaged students continues through grade 4 and grade 10, ultimately leading some students to leave school before obtaining a high school education (p.36-39 ). Despite increasing awareness of this achievement gap, current efforts have created little change; Gilchrist and Horowitz predict that, unless Connecticut changes its approach to this educational achievement gap, it will take one hundred years to alleviate the achievement gap at the high school level (p. 34). Project that concept onto the educational achievement gap between the United States and the poorest countries of Africa and the Middle East (The Social Progress Initiative, 2014), and you begin to understand the enormity of the task it will be to make educational equality a global reality.
Webliography
Afrobarometer Communications (2014). Afrobarometer. Retrieved from
Gilchrest, J., and Horowitz, S., (2013). Honoring Our Commitment: Building a Stronger
Future for Connecticut’s Children: 2013 Kids Count Data Book. Hartford, CT: Connecticut Association for Human Services. Retrieved from
http://cahs.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/CAHS2013-KIDSCOUNT-ALLPGS-SINGLES1.pdf
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. (2007). Retrieved February 27, 2016, from
http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html
The Social Progress Imperative. (2015). Retrieved February, 2016, from
http://www.socialprogressimperative.org/data/spi
Youth and Democratic Citizenship in East and South-East Asia. (2014). Retrieved February 27 2016, from