The Educational Selection Of The Gentry Class In Early Modern England

Gentry class is an important social class rising in the process of social transformation in early modern England.It is a key component of social structure and occupies a position that cannot be ignored in modern British history.With the continuous improvement of the economic base,they pay more attention to education and are closely related to education.By collecting relevant literature and using interdisciplinary methods,this paper introduces the concept of educational selection in pedagogy,studies the educational choice of British squires in the period of social transition,and analyzes its social impact.The paper is divided into three chapters for discussion: The first Chapter starts with the background of the educational selection of the gentry class.Firstly,the concept and composition of the gentry are defined,and it is believed that the gentry class refers to the class of land owners in England from the late Middle Ages to early modern times,which is a hierarchy above the yeomen and below the nobility.It began in the 12 th century and formed in the 16 th century.Secondly,it analyzes the social environment and the gentry stratum itself,and believes that the strong hierarchical concept in society has prompted the gentry stratum to recognize the hierarchical system and strive to keep up with it.The spread of humanism has changed their concept of education from advocating martial arts to emphasizing knowledge and education.The improvement of the economic foundation of the gentry class has enabled them to invest in education,and their thirst for social status and the need to be competent in government positions have deepened their active participation in education.The second chapter conducts an in-depth analysis of the educational selection of the gentry class,involving the selection between family education and school education,higher education and apprenticeship education.It analyzes the attractiveness of different educational methods to the gentry class and summarizes the factors that restrict the gentry class from making educational selection,such as parental planning and their own wishes,economic strength and geographical location,birth order and employment expectations.At the same time,through analysis,it is believed that the educational selection of the gentry class exhibit a tendency towards school education and higher education,and exhibit inclusive and diversified characteristics when dealing with the selections of different types of education.The third chapter examines the impact of the gentry’s educational selection,and believes that it not only improves the gentry’s own cultural literacy,but also makes important feedback to the development of British education,and promotes social mobility,an important British social regulation mechanism.