Running head: SOCIAL COHESION IN AUSTRIA 1

Social Cohesion in Austria

Joseph O. Schuster

Franciscan University of Steubenville

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Dr. Stephen P. Heyneman (2003), in his article entitled, Defining the Influence of

Education on Social Cohesion, defines four different components of social cohesion within the

school setting as “curriculum content, community perceptions of fairness to one’s children,

procedures available for effective adjudication to members of the school community… and the

school culture” (Heyneman, 2003, p. 86). In reflecting on my educational experiences during my

semester abroad in Gaming, Austria, I realized that I have been able to witness all four of these

components for social cohesion. However, the component that stands out the most and was by

far the most evident in my experiences was the factor of school culture. Through my experience

of this culture, I have been able to witness firsthand the fostering of social cohesion in the

educational setting.

What is school culture? It seems to be a rather ambiguous term, one that I throw around

frequently as a future educator. But what does it actually mean? Heyneman defines school

culture as the “rituals embedded in social relationships, ceremonies and traditions that attach

members to the school and its mission, and to the norms and beliefs that guide the actions of

members” (Heyneman, 2003, p. 89). This is quite the definition, but if we break it apart, we can

begin to see the essence of culture. Hyneman is saying that we see the culture of a school in its

“rituals, ceremonies, and traditions” (Heyneman, 2003, p. 86). These traditions are based upon

something deeper, upon a set of “beliefs” or principles that the culture holds as important. These

beliefs are then what guide the actions or behavior of the people and give rise to various patterns

and traditions. In a sense, you have to work backward from the “rituals” to get to the beliefs

which are the heart and soul of a culture. This common base of beliefs are what foster the social

cohesion Heyneman is talking about.

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How does any of this apply to the modern-day school setting? Schools, and even

individual classrooms, have their own “rituals” or patterns that they live out every day. Every

school or classroom is slightly different in how they operate, and it is in those differences that we

begin to see the “culture” of the classroom shine through. Through three unique and valuable

educational experiences during my semester abroad in Austria, I was able to witness some of

these differences, and get a glimpse of unique school cultures through the observation of their

“rituals.” As a result, I came to a deeper and broader understanding of culture and was able to

witness how it fosters social both in the classroom and in the community as a whole.

The first, and most impacting educational experience during my semester abroad is

definitely my experience in the Austrian schools through the ELISA program. I was placed in a

vocational school in Scheibbs with 9th year students (14-15 years old). I came weekly into the

classroom and taught the students English lessons, as well as observed the teacher in her own

instruction. Because the Austrian school is different from anything I have experienced before,

the school culture jumped out at me, because I was able to see how different it was compared to

school culture in the U.S. I was able to take note of the “rituals” and traditions of this school

during my time there, and then come to a conclusion about the “beliefs that guide the action of

the members” of the school (Heyneman, 2003, p. 86). In his article, Heyneman states that many

teachers in public schools are “frustrated by the absence of a positive culture that fosters

common goals and demonstrates a willingness to confront moral issues” (Heyneman, 2003, p.

89). I would evaluate the school culture of the school in Scheibbs to be very positive, because in

my conversations and interaction with the teachers, it was apparent that they shared a common

goal through their collaboration and respect for one another and their students. I also think that
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the teachers and students at this school demonstrated a “willingness to confront moral issues” in

the ways we discussed the right or wrong use of technology with the students.

The second educational experience that demonstrated the achievement of social cohesion

through school culture was my interaction with the students of the Language and Catechetical

Institute (LCI) on campus. I tutored one of the students in English, and also became good

friends with him. Through my time with this student and my observation of the presence of the

LCI program on campus, I was able to see that it definitely had its own school culture and

fostered social cohesion. The program welcomes students from all over Europe to study English

and learn about the catholic faith. I think that this demonstrates two points that Heyneman made

about school culture in his article. First, he found that “when people of different racial groups

had interactions that placed them in positions of equality, then increased tolerance was a likely

outcome” (Heyneman, 2003, p. 89). Tolerance is a facilitator of social cohesion in a community,

and I believe that much cohesion was created by the strong social relationships formed among

members of the LCI program, even though they are from all different parts of the world.

Heyneman also stated that “coherence of valued norms among teachers had an important effect

on the school culture,” and that “Catholic schools typically have a great deal of consistency

regarding the rules of the classroom” (Heyneman, 2003, p. 90). I witnessed just such

consistency and coherence in the LCI program because of its catechetical mission and Catholic

foundation.

The third education experience that opened my eyes to school culture in Austria was my

visit to the local Kindergarten classroom. I was blown away by the independence and

constructional aspect of their curriculum. It made me think of part of Heyneman’s article, that

“school practices can foster such cultures by the way students are managed and rewarded”
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(Heyneman, 2003, p. 90). In the Kindergarten classroom, I saw that the young students were

both managed and rewarded in a very different way that kindergarten classrooms in the states,

and I believe that this leads to a very different school culture, even for the youngest students.

In conclusion, my educational experience in Austria this semester have truly crystallized

my idea of school culture. School culture become something less abstract, and more tangible in

my observation and participation in these experiences. In a more profound way than I would

have been able to experience in the states, I could understand how the unique practices and

traditions of a school contribute to the formation of social cohesion in the classroom, in the

community, and in the world at large.

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References

Heyneman, S.P. (2003). Defining the Influence of Education on Social Cohesion. International

Journal of Educational Policy, Research, and Practice, 4, 73-97