The social education and the scientific responsibility

The social education emphasizes in the context of society of knowing a psycho-pedagogical approach meant to support the requirements of a new scientific paradigm. In this way, at the level of the reorganization of the value systems the freedom of speech of the social actors plays an essential role. Furthermore, the assumed context depends on the way in which these actors relate to the social norms. Therefore, such an understanding of the social education from the perspective of reorganization and reevaluation of the new assumed paradigm, reminds of a specific methodology of dealing with the instructive approach.

An interesting problem regarding the assumption of a new scientific paradigm at the level of the social education is the one according to which the necessity of a qualitative-competitive approach depends on the way in which the methodological strategies are applied. Thus, any form of education supposes a process of socialization (communication) through which the operationalization of the proposed objectives becomes possible.

Moreover, it is obvious, within the methodological strategies, a form of social conventionalism which relates directly or indirectly to the system of the human needs. In this context, we consider that it is necessary to have a stimulation of the passing from the idea of evaluation of the educational content to the idea of reevaluation of the methods used within such an approach. In fact, this methodological problem rather depends on the social norms obvious in a new society of knowing.

The development and the acceptance of some social norms suppose discursive forms of argumentation which from a pragmatic point of view emphasize well-based

1 Eşi Marius-Costel. Tel.: +40 746 694919;

E-mail address: mariusesi@yahoo.com

Eşi Marius-Costel / Procedia – Edu World 2010

conceptual-theoretical correspondences. Thus, the justifying reasonings of such an approach reflect different degrees of complexity whose standards of evaluation express after all the assumption of the educational reality in the terms of a specific language which for some thinkers is connected to the level of the scientific discovery (Popper; 1998; pp. 24-25). At the same time, the individual and social significances suppose utilitarian aspects which determine axiological evaluations. In these conditions, the scientific perspective of the social education "is built" on conceptual-theoretical structures well situated from the point of view of the understanding.

These pragmatic aspects involve certain epistemic capacities of understanding supported by cognitive-affective attitudes corroborated with scientific approaches. In this mode, the expressivity of the communication act emphasizes the importance of the element of newness at the moment of assuming a new paradigm (Ibidem; p. 144). Also, the social differentiations concentrate, at the level of this paradigm, educational responsibilities characteristic to a certain scientific community.

Moreover, the scientific dimension of education also illustrates a reality built on the relationship innovation-responsibility. In fact, the scientific contents integrated at this level concretize as long as the process of assuming a new paradigm depends on the cultural comprehension of the educational system promoted at a social level.

From this perspective, the social structures emphasize specific modalities of analysis through which the competitive process allows the broadening of the knowing horizon. The social reality, as a functional structure expresses a specific typology according to which there are established certain value reference points. Thus, the involved methodological resources aim at a major aspect of the social education and that is the psycho pedagogical model. In these conditions, the values hierarchy is done according to the epistemic understanding capacities. At the same time, the scientific explanations are organized according to the social analysis meant to legitimize somehow the suppositions which have to do with the acceptance of the social education in a society of knowing.

Furthermore, the assumed context depends on the values which relate to the social norms but also on the symbols used through which one can make complex mental operations (Dumitriu; 1991; p. 189). Therefore, on the one hand, it is visible a specific interpretation of a way of understanding the social education and on the other hand, at a social level there must be promoted and supported a system through which one should emphasize valid cognoscible structures. Consequently, this new perspective supposes the acceptance of a new scientific paradigm referring to an educational model assumed at a social level.

Far from being an ideal world, the social education supposes a conceptual-theoretical approach where the consistency within an instructive process depends on the attitude of the social actors involved in this approach. The possibilities determined by the development of a conceptual apparatus emphasize a valid structure within which the didactic strategies acquire legitimacy. There is though, within these conceptual-theoretical approaches a series of aspects which generate educational paradoxes. Thus, a first paradox consists in the fact that this type of education must concretize simplistically. Yet, at the moment when the didactic transposition is applied at the level of the process of education, the transfer of knowledge from the "scientific" to the "non-scientific" does not take place as efficiently as it should.

In other words, the rest of "scientification" can be found in a less intelligible form within "simplistic structures". In this sense, from the desire to simplify a certain content there is the risk of it becoming less comprehensible. Also, in this context, we support that the passing from complex to simple should be done on the basis of a well prepared

Eşi Marius-Costel / Procedia – Edu World 2010

conceptual apparatus, with an alphabet very well explained and acquired even from the beginning of an educational approach. Thus, the acquisition of the informational content would only be a problem of principle and time. Obviously, an important factor in this educational approach is given exactly by the educator's attitude and the way in which he/she applies the specific educational methodology.

A second paradox concerning the social education is that according to which a social fact is anterior to the social education. In other words, the social education is often done only after a social fact (and sometimes even anti-social) has become concrete. For example the campaign for gathering funds for calamities which have just taken place represents a type of subsequent social education. Let us think what could have happened if this campaign had taken place before the calamity happened: the unpleasant events would have been prevented, a series of population security strategies would have been put into application, certain investments with the protection role would have been made and so on.

Of course, nobody wants that the idea of such a campaign anterior to the production of such a calamity should also suppose the production of the unpleasant phenomenon itself. But "to anticipate" and " to prevent" must be part of the strategies of elaboration as far as the social education is concerned. That is why, we consider that such type of education should be focused on even from the stage of the school training to prevent the afterward manifestation of the less pleasant phenomena and even antisocial behaviours. Also, we consider that such an education must be part of our daily life, it should represent a normality, in other words it should have the character of a previous social education.

Another paradox referring to the social education reminds of the psychological impact that it can have on people. As we all know we live in a world where speed is the everyday word. We often need time just to fulfill certain tasks successfully. Yet, the economy of time in a society of knowledge is done through the new technologies of communication and the more and more advanced new means of transport. So, from this perspective, one can give the following example: it is known the fact that boarding a plane to go to a certain destination supposes a previous preparation of the passengers by the plane crew, the things they have to do in case of a plane crash as if this were the first stage from the taking off moment. The "negative" psychological impact on the passengers is worse than in the case they were previously prepared. A previous preparation supposes the awareness and the assumption of some risks, their decrease as much as possible and why not, the taking into account of another possibility as well. Of course, we also have in this case a model of previous social education. This opportunity cost of the social education does nothing but relate to the psychological impact on the human being. It would probably be more indicated for this type of training to be done in the day-to-day life through all kinds of courses. The same thing should be done in the case of fire accidents, floods and earthquakes. It is certain that this approach should not suppose a pessimist script, but rather a realistic attitude to the unpredictable moments.

The understanding of some paradoxical phenomena at the level of the social education does nothing but remind of axiological reevaluations of the cognoscible structures. Still, what we propose does not represent a purely speculative theory which is based on what there is not but we rather have in mind an educational model which tries to understand the social reality for the perspective of a society of knowledge. This fact makes us argument in favor to the point of view which claims that the social education must concretize even from the first years of school in order to cultivate and develop a realistic attitude, a civic and practical spirit to a kind of phenomenon of the previously described

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one. Therefore, a realistic social education corroborated with a specific methodology can become concrete in the pragmatic dimensions of a society based on knowing.

The methodological problem brought into discussion emphasizes the necessity at the social level of a well founded educational policy. It has to do in fact with the putting into practice of some strategies specific to the system of sciences of education within which one can find the spirit of the pedagogical optimism (Bocoş; 2008; p. 34), situation which can lead to the making of a favorable educational environment. We also have in mind the fact that the most of the theoretical approaches become concrete through successive applications of some research methods corroborated with the process of the conceptual-theoretical reevaluation. This fact determines more precisely an analysis which should concentrate on some specifications as far as the linguistic formalism of the conceptual-theoretical apparatus is concerned. In this way, the conclusions of such an approach reflect at the level of a new scientific paradigm the necessity of a social education through which the cognitive-informational structures have to do with a complete process of reevaluation.

The social reality illustrates a rational pedagogical model which contributes to the reconstruction of education. In this mode, we take part in the problem of the formulation of a reality where the notion of "social education" supposes an analysis which relates to the consciousness of contemporary world. It is good to know the fact that certain competences become complete at a social level through some activities which reflect economic aspects of the reality in general.

That is another reason why a scientific community should assume certain responsibilities at a social level. Thus, an important aspect within the scientific community is the communication. Yet, the expressiveness of the communication must not eliminate the scientific conventionalism (sometimes expressed in a silent way). In fact it has to do with the acceptance within the scientific community of the conventional education. Moreover, within the scientific community the conventional education (together with the social education) constitutes a fundamental factor in the development of the human personality. In this way, the society where the education is more than obvious must do nothing but give priority to the development and the support of the social values.

These aspects do nothing but remind of a basic requirement within the instructive process that is the necessity of an adequate educational paradigm in close correlation with the socio-cultural values promoted in a society of knowledge. In other words, the quality of the social education depends on the way in which it develops in such a system. Moreover, an optimum understanding of this phenomenon supposes an involvement of the social actors at all levels of organization. Thus, their behavioral perspective reminds of the analysis of some problems of maximum social importance. Therefore, the importance of the application at a social level of the methodological strategies specific to a new educational paradigm must constitute a basic policy within such a system.

Of course, within this process of reevaluation we have in mind, on the one hand, the evaluation of the individual's behaviour in a psychological sense, and on the other hand, the evaluation of the educational actors' behaviour in accordance with their own results obtained as a result of the activity of the cognitive psychical processes. These two models of communication (the psychological and cognitive models) illustrate a perspective that explains the layers of the instructive process taking into consideration the basis of the managerial decisions and the axiological importance of the informational resources.

Moreover, the acceptance of such criteria of eligibility reminds of a new theoretical construction through which there are put into value specific strategies of individualization of the social education. This image referring to the architectonics of a new assumed

Eşi Marius-Costel / Procedia – Edu World 2010

paradigm focuses on the knowledge plan social finalities meant to justify the role of the substantiation of informational resources within the instructive process. Consequently, a well-founded educational policy must have into mind both the consensual strategies at the level of the educational reality and the putting into value of some social principles and norms.

The approach of the social education from the perspective of a new methodology allows on the basis of the pedagogical interactions, an active learning which combines theory with experience. Especially, the problem brought into discussion generates situations which illustrate criteria of eligibility in accordance with which a scientific paradigm is legitimized. In other words, the epistemic modality of approach reflects theoretical-applicative connections of the epistemic structures. Thus, a scientific paradigm concretizes efficiently as long as the epistemic structures relate to value judgments.

The priority given to the social education corresponds to the objectives assumed by the education in general, so that the used strategies determine permanent and pertinent changes at the level of the observational knowing. Thus, the epistemic modality of approach constitutes a peculiarity of education through which there are generated some veridical hypotheses. In fact, such an assumption justifies the existence of some levels of organization different within the social reality. Furthermore, the necessity of an educational logic within the social reality must stimulate the activity of the persons involved in the instructive process.

In this mode, the practical-theoretical importance of the axiological approaches reflects a well justified degree of complexity which many times, must relate to the transfer of knowledge. Yet, this thing is possible if there is a correspondence between at least two different levels of organization. And many times, there is this correspondence. Therefore, the passing from complex to simple is subordinated both to a logical-linguistic formalism and a "behavioral" formalism. In this situation we have to do with an epistemic model of understanding of the social dynamics. In other words, a typology specific to the training activity reminds of the idea that any social system subordinates to a cultural consciousness.

In this context, there are significant value aspects, through which there are emphasized strategies specific to the pedagogical approach. However, this perspective does not exclude the idea of limit of the social paradigms and the idea of limit of the educational paradigms, respectively. Therefore, the social education represents a specific form of socialization and communication through which the assumed finalities can find its value reference point in accordance with the attitudes and the strategies of the educational actors.

2. The new society of knowledge in the context of the social education