The School and Society

by John Dewey

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Genres: Education, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Classics, Society

198 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1900

About the author

John Dewey was an American philosopher, psychologist and educational reformer whose ideas have been influential in education and social reform. Dewey, along with Charles Sanders Peirce and William James, is recognized as one of the founders of the philosophy of pragmatism and of functional psychology. He was a major representative of the progressive and progressive populist philosophies of schooling during the first half of the 20th century in the USA.

In 1859, educator and philosopher John Dewey was born in Burlington, Vermont. He earned his doctorate at Johns Hopkins University in 1884. After teaching philosophy at the University of Michigan, he joined the University of Chicago as head of a department in philosophy, psychology and education, influenced by Darwin, Freud and a scientific outlook. He joined the faculty of Columbia University in 1904. Dewey's special concern was reform of education. He promoted learning by doing rather than learning by rote. Dewey conducted international research on education, winning many academic honors worldwide. Of more than 40 books, many of his most influential concerned education, including My Pedagogic Creed (1897), Democracy and Education (1902) and Experience and Education (1938). He was one of the founders of the philosophy of pragmatism. A humanitarian, he was a trustee of Jane Addams' Hull House, supported labor and racial equality, and was at one time active in campaigning for a third political party. He chaired a commission convened in Mexico City in 1937 inquiring into charges made against Leon Trotsky during the Moscow trials. Raised by an evangelical mother, Dewey had rejected faith by his 30s. Although he disavowed being a "militant" atheist, when his mother complained that he should be sending his children to Sunday school, he replied that he had gone to Sunday School enough to make up for any truancy by his children. As a pragmatist, he judged ideas by the results they produced. As a philosopher, he eschewed an allegiance to fixed and changeless dogma and superstition. He belonged to humanist societies, including the American Humanist Association. D. 1952.

Reviews

[Sotiris Makrygiannis]

Claimed to be one of the philosophy books that Finnish system is using to create the amazing PISA results. I don't have references to compare against so no opinion. I do however find the lack of interest in the past (maybe I don't fully understand his point) rather annoying.

[Samwise Chamberlain]

An exemplary blueprint for the progressive school as regards elementary education. Emphasizing smaller class sizes in order to provide more in-depth educating of pupils combined with a fusing of hands-on experience and exploration. Children are guided rather than lectured, encouraged to work out the how and why, instead of memorizing the what.

Technical handiwork such as cultivation, cooking, weaving, sewing, woodworking, and experimental sciences are all encouraged to students in order to fuse the school and home life. The view in this being to make the learning seamless with outside experiences by continuation of educational experiences. The mode of thinking nourished by guided exploration is continued in everyday life, providing a new eye for the familiar.

Administratively, the teachers are given quite a bit of free-rein to best suit the capabilities, enthusiasms, and temperaments of those in their charge. Fraternization of grades is encouraged, introducing students to effective socialization and the seeds of effective pedagogy. The goal is to build a functional community of inquisitive minds, all learning from each other's various strengths.

It sure would be nice if the modern school had followed in this vein of pedagogy instead of a reversion to the lecture and memorization route. Critical thinking has fallen by the wayside in favor of testing ability. I'm reminded of a Feynman anecdote about visiting a university in Brazil, about graduates being able to give textbook answers but unable to explain the systems and methods that brought them to such an answer. "But what does your answer mean?" This was unanswerable. In short, the misapplication/strangling of school funding, out-of-touch administrators, teacher burnout and abuse is not working.

[Joosep]

"A society is a number of people held together because they are working along common lines, in a common spirit, and with reference to common aims. The common needs and aims demand a growing interchange of thought and growing unity of sympathetic feeling. The radical reason that the present school cannot organize itself as a natural social unit is because just this element of common and productive activity is absent.
Upon the playground, in game and sport, social organization takes place spontaneously and inevitably. There is something to do, some activity to be carried on, requiring natural divisions of labor, selection of leaders and followers, mutual cooperation and emulation. In the schoolroom the motive and the cement of social organization are alike wanting. Upon the ethical side, the tragic weakness of the present school is that it endeavors to prepare future members of the social order in a medium in which the conditions of the social spirit are eminently wanting."

[Kyogo]

This book, The School and Society, written by John Dewey discusses how schools should be incorporated into a part of society. In a highly industrialized society, Dewey argues that what is taught in school should be highly related to their lives and experiences. Therefore, he argues that schools should reach out to teach the everyday concerns and practical parts of the everyday life of the child.

His arguments that what's seen at home should be in close proximity to schools was an interesting idea and is highly relevant now and when it was written about a century ago. Reading about his ideas was a huge eye-opener as I was enveloped into the modern education system.

[Anita]

I love John Dewey's theories of education because reading him reminds me of the optimism needed to be a teacher. This work specifically focuses on how educators can bring a student's background knowledge (home and society) into the classroom to enhance classroom learning.

[Julie]

Some really inspiring ideas to incorporate into schools and classrooms. There are also a few less than stellar ideas that have been tried and failed since Dewey’s time. Still…I appreciate the outside-the-box thinking about education.

[Claire]

Fairly short read but it can be a bit difficult to digest Dewey’s scholarly writing. Interesting ideas in his works regarding the connection between school and the greater society and the structure of our education system. Read for an M.Ed History & Philosophy course

[Terrance D Martin]

The start of Public Education

John Dewey's dream of an educational system fulfilled in part today! My only disappointment was that I was hoping the book would get in his and Horace Mann's manifesto.

[Michael]

A little repetitive at times, but overall a pretty interesting

[Aidan Corrie]

Very compact, pure theory of education that I can get behind. Dewey is someone I never find myself getting tired of reading!

[Vety]

Alcune considerazioni interessanti e spiccate

[Melania]

⭐3,5

[Steven Kolber]

Fairly dense, but formative id assume

[Anna Snader]

I thought I hated John Dewey. I don’t :)

[Tia]

Interesting read and I learned some new things, but I disagreed with a lot. Helped me begin to understand John Dewey's philosophy. I liked his section talking about the middle schools, it was funny in light of how they have turned out!

[Annathelle26]

Ι had to read this one for University, so I really do not have an opinion on whether I like it or not. I am indifferent. It was a presentation of opinions, not a book with a plot etc, and I rarely read this kind of books. So, I can only say that the opinions expressed inside were mostly good.

[jacky]

I believe that I used portions of this book for a research project I did as a freshmen in high school about teachers.

[Kristin]

I read this for educational purposes only and I honestly couldn't tell you a lick of what I read.

[SoulScream]

120 years later we are still struggling to understand and implement the ideas of Dewey...