John Meyers view on direct effect of education on

aspects

a) society
b) economic
c) politics
EFFECTS ON SOCIETY
 Effects of
education on
society

Traditional
Allocation Legitimation
Socialization
theory Theory
Theory
 TRADITIONAL SOCIALIZATION
THEORY
John Meyer (1977) discussed the schooling effect
on the social structure through the traditional
socialization theory.

Education can be viewed as the body of

organization and also as the agent of
transformation.

The changes and development in the education

sector expands the status of the people in the
society and their intellect.
PROCESS
 ALLOCATION THEORY
Education is perceived to be selector, sorter and
allocator in the society (John Meyer, 1977).

It classifies and determines the order of the people in

the society.

John Meyer (1977) pointed out research conducted

by Biau & Duncan (1972) that schooling has direct
impact on status attainment in the society.

Thus, schooling is not simply a matter of processing

individuals but institutional system.
PROCESS
 Education is a set of initiation ceremonies
and society-wide significance.

These significance transform the present

and past of the individuals, enhancing
values in all sorts of social events.

Allocation theory also has its limitations.

i) Only for those being processed in the
system.
ii) allocating individuals to fixed set of
positions in the society.
 LEGITIMATION THEORY
2 closely related aspects:-

a) Systems of classifications, categorizing

entire adult population-level & specialty.
b) Institutionalized and controlled by the state and
enforced in daily life by rules.

Effects of education on this theory can be

explained further in 4 categories and divided
into 2 parts.
 Modern education not only expands each society
structurally but also brings society into closer
organizational similarities.

Due to this, societies come to be made up of

more and more similar elites.

In most countries, the presence of locally

controlled and similarities in terms of the
organization in the education systems-possible
cultural penetration. (John Meyer,1977)
EFFECTS ON ECONOMY
Background
Educational policies have been driven by political
forces more than by economic goals.

E.g. A country might reform its educational system

after losing a war.

Now, every national regime is under great pressure

to scrutinize the national economy as a principal
responsibility.

The science and math reform wave, focusing mainly

on mass education, has been the main focus.
Meyers questions
Meyer does not agree with most research that
follows the human capital tradition in
economics. He studies these questions:

1. Are countries with higher levels of achievement

more likely to have greater subsequent
economic growth?

2. Is the relationship between achievement and

growth stable over time and independent of
particular cases?
Meyers findings
His research analyses show the expected positive
effect of academic achievement on economic
growth.

In his research, economic growth increases when

student achievement increases.

However, this effect appears to be both case and

time sensitive.

E.g. Asian tigers

Meyers findings
Student achievement scores in Science and
Math positively influence economic growth
for 1970 1990.

But it is untrue when the Asian Tigers are

excluded from the analysis or in analyses of
1980 2000.

In developed countries, student achievement

effect is not as strong as expected.
EFFECTS ON POLITICS
Background
Most studies:
Education vs political attributes of individuals

General finding:
The amount of education an individual has is a
powerful background affecting his political
sentiments, competence and behavior.

Political elites in both developed and

undeveloped societies tend to have high levels
of education (Dogan, 1961 & Coleman, 1965)
General findings
Meyer identified these problems:
1. Both political development and education
are institutional properties.

2. Has political participation of the educated

often involved turbulence, political
instability and conflict?
(frustration-aggression hypothesis)
Meyers propositions
Question 1: Meyers propositions
Proposition D Allocation
Educational attainment directly affects the

opportunities for political capacity and

participation that will be allocated an
individual, over and above anything he may
have learned.

E.g. Can a sixth grader become a doctor?

 Proposition E - Adaptation
Education allocates political roles and

opportunities to individuals, leading them to

have exceptional levels of political
knowledge, competence, efficacy, and
participation.

The educated experience a world that

expands their sense of political power and
vice versa.
 Proposition F - Chartering
Apart from organizational or curricular

features of schools, students learn qualities

associated with roles that the schools are
socially licensed to allocated them.

E.g. Physics Physicists

Graduates A status created and defined
by the wider society.
 Proposition G - Legitimation
Expanded and institutionalized national
educational systems create and legitimate
modern citizen and elite roles in the political
system.

Students are politically active because they

acquire the right to political centrality through
the education system itself.

Increase in national and political attention to

the educational system in the late 1950s was
followed by an increase in student political
activity.
Conclusion
Throughout the world, the products of the school
systems enjoy nationwide legitimacy as potential
elite members.

Education increases both political information

and level of political participation of individuals.

The education of an individual expands his

participation, but the education of the other
individuals around him reduces his opportunities
to participate.