Research On Ideological Issues Of American School Education In The Process Of Globalization

Globalization, by its very nature, although originated in economy, is more influential in its function of spread and proliferation on world’s politics, culture and ideology. Therefore, to every county in the world, globalization will never be a value-neutral theory or trend. The countries, when experiencing profound changes in economy, are keeping an eye on the development of the ideological field. In recent years, in particular, they are gradually attracted by social control achieved by the enhancement of ideological education which is becoming a subject attaining increasing concern from the field of both educational theory and practice.This thesis adopts comparative method, literature survey and case study as inevitable approaches in research. Based on the academic and practical significance of the ideological research of American school education and following the thread of historical heritance, focus of debate, educational practice, problems and essence on the ideology of American school education since globalization, this thesis expects to reveal its responding strategies in the face of the challenges in the new era and analyze its commonness and individuality as well as its use for reference to Chinese ideological education.The United States has been at the forefront of world development. In the era of globalization, the United States still dominates and its successful experience is what the other countries are racing to learn. Although the United States claims no "ideological education", its development in education, schooling, and culture all reveal the sign of unique ideological influence. It is a definite fact that there is ideological education in broad sense in American schooling. The "ideology" discussed in this study is not only a kind of educational approach and means, but also the content. The term "ideology"’here refers to the education concerning society, culture and concepts which widely permeates in American schooling, involving concepts in thoughts, values, morals, culture, politics and etc.Viewed from the historical heritance of the American ideological education, the United States has been carrying on "American Spirit". Experiencing religious education, moral education, civic education and the organic integration of the three, the pursuit of "American dream" in school education and the civic education are actually in the same line. The public schools strengthen secular education and the concept of equal educational has been gradually accepted, but there is always an unbridgeable gap between the equality in educational "opportunities" and "results". In American society,"white supremacy" and "exceptionalism" keep causing racial issues, which go against the ideology of "democracy". In the progressive movement, the federal government increased investment in education, allowing more people more opportunity to access public schools. With America becoming the world’s number one power,"American Spirit" is also spread in the wave of globalization.Viewed from the focus of debate on the issue, American educational reform has been filled with the concern on quality, whence comes the ideological debate on the "quantification" of educational product. There have always been different stances for Democrats and Republicans in schooling policy-making, arguments on the "private" and "public" nature of educational purpose, ideological debate on "progressivism" and "conservativism" in educational concept, ideological debate on different talent-training models of "industrial society" and "knowledge society" and the debate on the influence of post-modernism, neo-liberalism and the third way-ism on schooling.Viewed from the ideological practice of American School education, the federal government gradually gained control of education and enhanced its administration on funds and curricula. American teacher’s ideology features "consistency" and "difference". Teachers’specific political and cultural inclination, political stances of their opinions and the "new" ideological elements cultivated in their training all exert certain social influence on American ideological education. In the school practice of ideological education, there exists educational philosophy aiming to promote students’"democratic consciousness". It develops the teaching mode based on the classroom, cultivates students’"objective" stance in ideology education, and fosters students’ political " participation efficiency". Eventually, families, communities and religions all contribute much to ideological education.Viewed from the problems and essence of ideology education in American schooling, the local authorities are gradually losing control in the movement of school "integration" and "school choice". Viewed from the results of ideological education, the "equal opportunity" hasn’t come true. School’s democratic ideas cannot help in its confrontation with the impacts posed by multiple cultures and the "industrialization" ideology of higher education is in a dilemma facing the fundamental conflict between "profit maximization" and "the common good". But no matter what, for the national interest, Americans vow to pursue their ideological education and actively implement the "cultural hegemony" in the wave of globalization.Based on this, this paper argues that the United States not only has ideological education, but implements it with a more subtle way. American students accept the mainstream ideology just unconsciously. America itself is a composite of multiple contradictions, and the very substance that bonds the many contradictions is the mainstream ideology represented by the "American Spirit". In addition, ideological education can spread the mainstream values and enhance the consistency of social cognition. Regardless of the social system, governments would explicitly or implicitly strengthen their ideological education. Although China and the United States have great differences in social systems, values, cultural traditions, etc., as co-participants and promoters in globalization, objective and comprehensive study on American education of ideology can be used as "stones from other hills". As a socialist country, China has experienced twists and turns in ideological education, has seen many problems in its implementation in schools and is facing the challenges posed by the diversity of values in the era of globalization. Therefore, on the one hand we need to learn from positive practices of American ideological education, grasp the combination of "implicit" and "explicit" approaches, nurture students’ democratic and negotiating spirit and actively explore diversified paths for ideological education; On the other hand, we must firmly cling to the guiding status of Marxism, maintain "global perspective" and "firm stance" at the same time.