The process of social change and modernization does not occur in vaccum. There may be a number of agents of social change. Education, Mass media and Communication are some of the more important agents of social change.
India has been able to achieve a high degree of modernization, both cultural and technological, during the British rule.
In terms of technological modernization, such technological innovations as new means of transport and communication, roadways, railways, waterways, new printing technology and others not only facilitated more spatial mobility but also led to a broadening of world view of people.
In terms of cultural modernization the westernized elite became harbinger of a new social order. They reinterpreted Hinduism, had a new look at the caste system and other traditional institutions and accepted egalitarianism, gender justice and humanism as keys to a new India.
Among the agents of social change, education played a very important role. The system of education as introduced by the British has been, both quantitatively and qualitatively, different.
It was liberal in context and steeped in modem scientific world view. Freedom, equality, humanism and denial of dogmas are the themes of the new system of education.
English language was taken up as a medium of instruction from 1835 onwards at the higher levels of education. Exposure to the English language opened up a new worldview based on liberalism and scientific temper.
It was also instrumental in opening up of the vast store of western knowledge to the educated people of India. When we look at the organizational structure of education we find that the primary education was still being imparted through the vernacular languages.
English language was introduced at the intermediate tier of secondary education and the college/university education was almost totally dependent on English language. Content wise, the primary and secondary education was providing only basic or rudimentry knowledge but not 'enlightenment' which was confined only to college/university education.
In terms of social classes, when education was secularized during British rule it was taken out from the suffocating environment of sacred/religious places and for the first time people from all the social classes found access to this secular education.
This facilitated the entry of new criteria of social stratification in Indian society through which the educated people irrespective of caste and social background got new avenues of upward mobility in the traditional rigid hierarchy.
Thus, education started playing a significant role in the process of modernization of Indian society.
In the fields of humanities and social sciences the literary content was primarily drawn from the literature produced in Europe. The changes in education system described above led to the growth of a new intelligentsia or intellectual class taking to the path of modernity.
Broadly speaking, intellectuals are those who contribute directly to the creation, transmission and criticism of ideas. They include artists, writers, bureaucrats, scientists, philosophers, religious thinkers, social theorists, political commentators and others. Talking about the concerns which have occupied a central place in the cognitive map of modern intellectuals in India.
Avijit Pathak(1998) presents two such concerns as:
- An intense curiosity, to understand tradition, it's religiosity, social institutions and cultural practices. Is our tradition an obstacle in the path of modernity - it's enlightenment and rationality, it's techno-economic institutions or it's secular humanism? Or is it possible for our tradition to generate it's own resources and create an alternate agenda? enlightenment and rationality, it's techno-economic institutions or it's secular humanism? Or is it possible for our tradition to generate it's own resources and create an alternate agenda?
- An urge to make sense of modernity, it's global ambitions and projects. Is modernity an elitist project not sensitive to India's subaltern masses, their struggles and aspirations? Or should India as a modem nation-state pursue the same universal objectives - development, production, efficiency, homogeneity and scientific temper?
⇒ In science, they saw a great possibility. Raja Ram Mohan
Roy wanted it. Akshay Kumar Dutt rejected the traditional system of education.
⇒ Vidyasagar ridiculed those who believed that the shastras contain all scientific truth.
⇒ For Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, the traditional system of Muslim education was a great stumbling block in the way of progress.
⇒ Nehru, in Parekh's (1989) words, though valued traditian but was not a traditionalist. He used the resources of his tradition and with his intense creativity gave birth to an alternate politico-cultural agenda.
A major reason behind the popularity of Nehru amongst the intellectuals is that they continue to feel that the agenda initiated by him promoting secular humanism to fight cultural prejudices - has not yet exhausted it's possibilities.
Thus, 'education'has always been an important intervening variable in social change and plays a crucial role in the socialization of the younger generation, to use Dmkbeim's terminology. It paves the way for the development of science and technology.
Modern education contains the ability to change the attitude and outlook of the people. It has contributed to changes in customs traditions, morality, religious belief and the whole value system in India.
It is contributing to womens empowerment and gender justice. In the domain of social status it has played it's role in the occupational mobility. This becomes important under the conditions where occupation and sacial status were traditionally interlinked in Indian society.
The spread of education has also contributed to the increase in political awareness among the poor and the deprived sections of Indian society.
Though it is true that the educated persons are still the most progressive section of our population but it also raises some uncomfortable questions. We also find socially regressive conservative and orthodox, casteist's and communalists among the educated people.
This at once brings out the question mark on the content of syllabi a true and correct understanding of social phenomenon and an objective analysis and interpretation by the teachers. And here comes the role of the state too, to promote a particular model of education.
What can one expect if the state sponsors the teaching of a 'communalised history and promotes orthodoxy rather than rationalism and a scientific outlook. But even in such circumstances the role of education in 'social change' cannot be denied.
The role of Mass Media and Communication as agents of
social change has also been a field of sociological enquiry. Maas media is a term popularly used for dissemination of information, ideas and entertainment by the uses of technological media such radio and television, cinema, press and advertising. They continue to coexist with important traditional media such as folk song and dance, drama, puppetry, etc.
The technological innovations of the twentieth century have transformed the very face of the mass media. If we look at the reach of radio and television we are really overwhelmed by it's reach and impact.
The People's of India Project (1986-92) done by Anthropological Survey of India tells us that the radio has reached 96% of the tribal population and the television,40% of the same population.
The tribal regions are considered to be the economically most backward regions of the country and if these two most important popular mass media have registered their presence on such a scale, it's reach in the rural and urban areas can be very well imagined. Radio programmes are being broadcast in English and all the major languages and dialects of lndia.
Besides providing news and information, programmes related with entertainment include a large area
of themes - social, cultural and political. Programmes targeting youth and women have also been promoting social change. But at the same time, obscure and conservative ideas strengthening status quoism are also being broadcast and telecast.
Cinema is also one of the cheapest sources of entertainment and like television being an audio-visual medium, carries more intense impact than radio. At the micro level, it also promotes culture change particularly changes in modes of dressing, hair styles,language, mannerism and norms. The growing desensitization to violence is also attributed to the impact of cinema.
But the serious and socially concerned cinema, popularly known as 'art cinema' or parallel cinema has also been promoting the ideas of gender justice, women's empowerment, against corruption and criminalization, against dowry and other social evils.
Tea stalls in rural markets, towns and cities are popular places of dissemination of divergent ideas . These are the places where people, after listening to radio news or from newspapers, enter into discussions and debates and take the role of opinion makers for the rest of the masses.
Presently, messages are mass produced and distributed to millions of people through the audio and audio-visual technological innovations. With the advent of Cable TV, exclusive channels on 'spiritualism' and religion are also promoting obscurantism and religiosity and may also be counter-productive to the process of cultural modernism.
Thus, the mass media in India is like,a double edged weapon. It's educative and entertaining role may also be neutralized when it serves as a vehicle of irrationality, superstitions and status quoism. Since mass media have become indepensible, a proper and imaginative planning is required to use it as a vehicle of social change.
