The theme capacity-building programmes for social sciences teachers
is quite important and significant involving four focal points
–capacity-building, teachers, social sciences and programmes. It categorically
calls for necessity of those specific programmers, which should be initiated or
the steps that can be taken to capacity-building of teachers-educators
associated with various disciplines in social sciences. That is why; I have
already started with my pre-observation of the theme by using the words like important and significant. To pass the observation its acid test let us now
discuss all the four focal points, one-by-one, and thus to prove the importance
and significance of the theme itself.
First of all
about capacity-building that undoubtedly divulges ability of a person to perform actions in the right direction
and on the basis of them the creation of a solid structure or an unyielding and
secured construction. Each and every human being has within her or his
unprecedented virtuous abilities and their development through actions is the key
to bliss and rise, therefore, to achieve in life. This essentially and
precisely include knowledge, which is also based on realization and practices,
thus emphatically on actions as a lifelong process and, therefore, it is called
education –Shiksha in Indian terms.
For, Socrates can be quoted here, who rightly stated, “…education is to draw out what are already within…” [Global
Peace International Journal, August, 2012] and also Mahatma Gandhi who said, “By education I mean an all-round drawing out of the best
in child and man –body, mind and spirit. Literacy is not the end of education
not even the beginning. It is one of the means whereby man and women can be
educated. Literacy in itself is no education.” [Gandhi in Current Perspective, page 81] Hence, capacity-building
is, in fact, a continuous process; it is an education in true sense to pave the
way to all-round development of one’s personality.
Secondly,
a teacher or an educator –a person imparting knowledge in general;
however, as per the basic spirit in the root of the word teaching, or education
itself he is expected to bring out what a disciple or student has already
within for her or his all-round development. Moreover, and undoubtedly
representing the great Guru tradition
of India, well represented by people like Tirthankara
Mahavira, Shakyamuni Gautama Buddha, Adi Shankaracharaya and Ramakrishna
Paramahansa. A teacher plays the key role in the whole process of education
–besides imparting knowledge and giving training for the character building,
thus assuring aspects related to morality and ethics a certainty. He also makes
them sound and continue, which is essential for proper conduction of the order
from individual to universal level. For, his place in society becomes the
vital. As an educator awakens joy in creative expression and
knowledge, and it is, in the noteworthy words of Albert Einstein “the
supreme art of the teacher”; further, as has been well said by Khalil
Gibran “the teacher…leads ….to the threshold of mind” to make the one
creative in all manners to take the right way, he definitely emerges
as the maker of society. Therefore, capacity-building of the one, who is herself
or himself the maker and shaper of society and the builder of the future of a nation
to a large extent, cannot be undervalued. Further, I can venture to say
humanity as whole looks at teacher’s work and performance for its wellbeing.
The
next point relates to social sciences that refer
to various branches connected with the society –analyzing, observing and
opening rooms for study and research of different aspects of society
systematically, and mutual dealings and relations between the two or among the
individuals within a society in particular. Not only sociology, but disciplines
like anthropology, economics, philosophy, political science and psychology are
also within the ambit of social sciences. Further, archeology, communication,
cultural-civilizational studies, education, history, law and linguistics,
despite relying on empirical approaches and being covered by humanities as
well, are within the domain of social sciences. It is because all of them
relate to society –social dealings or issues and subjects related to society.
Moreover, they essentially affect one-another; thus, each one of them becomes
the part and parcel of the one unit –one entity, the society. No need to
mention much of the importance of social sciences –study, research and analysis
of numerous aspects related to them with the purpose of people’s interaction
for improving society –conducts, inevitable dealings, interaction and mutual
relations for the common cause or the general welfare to a large extent. For,
contemporary social scientists have used while having the viewpoint and
observation of ancient Geek philosopher Aristotle as the nuclei the term collective
goods.
Further studies of social sciences immensely provide us with
so many important answers to vital question related to the improvement and
understanding of our lives for worth living. It has been rightly
pointed out by known researchers of social studies in health and medicine like
Susan Weller of the University of Texas and Roberta Baer of the University of
South Florida in their notable works with a conclusion providing us the term ability
of riding
out the storm for this. That is
why; I consider social sciences the most important of subjects of study,
research and analysis. Therefore, I call for necessity of their study by each
and every student, it does not matter if it is done up to a certain level of
learning. In this very context I also endorse to a large extent the statement
of an eminent scholar like Robert Audi in which he has declared them to be the most
important and significant among all branches of knowledge, study and research.
For, he has mentioned “the study of the logic and methods of the
social sciences, the criteria of a good social explanation.” [Robert
Audi: Introduction]
Finally, it is the programmes –sequences of orders, scheduled in black and white
in general and undoubtedly to perform a particular task systematically. As the
word science is connected with social, therefore, it is, but natural that
related programmes to be carried out or the tasks to be accomplished through
social sciences should be in order, methodologically with proper planning,
management, coordination and arrangement. Furthermore, they should be based on
a pedagogy befitting as per the demand of time and space. As the matter relates
to the disciplines of social sciences –the most important aspect of education,
planning and programmes related to it and that too having the teachers and
educators in the centre, therefore, significance of it reveals automatically.
Thus, after discussing and analyzing all the four
focal point of the theme capacity-building programmes for social sciences teachers in brief,
it becomes apparent that along with broad and open discussion on topic like
this, and other themes similar to it, workshops, seminars and symposiums are
not only the need of the honour, but their
organization from time-to-time is necessary. In other words, organizing
activities and events like this continuously is inevitable and indispensable,
and no one can deny this fact.
II
Now, let us come
to the main point, which undoubtedly relates to planning with methods
–systematic analysis, studies and research in particular, and that too having
the popular viewpoints of social scientists of our time in the centre. We are all
well aware of the fact that social scientists have
for years been utilizing a variety of methods or techniques to furthering the
tasks –easing the works related to their study, research, observation and
analysis. It is also an undeniable fact that adopted methods have got
dimensions, one after the other from time-to-time. Some of them have lost their
relevance almost, if not in toto, in current perspective, while many of them
have been modified and refined as per the demand of time and space, for there
is no need to go in additional details. In this era of unprecedented development
and continuously increasing process of globalization the social scientists are
adopting new, more concrete and practical approaches and methods. They are
stepping forward with planning particularly in order to analyze issues related
to social sciences to facilitate their respective programmes, definitely with
the purpose of bringing concrete results –for befitting answers, solutions and
to pave the way further.
In
this regard, the foremost among the methods, which are being adopted by social
scientists or the ways being taken by them all over the world in general, and
that can be of special mention here on priority in current perspective, are: enhancing the
quality and strength of experiential scientific research with systematic study
and observation, collecting data yielding insights into the human experience in
particular for the purpose along with using suitable techniques, sharing
resources with the intention of fostering broad collaboration, innovation and
exchanging expertise not only at regional and national levels, but in these
days of rapidly increasing process of globalization at international level
also, definitely with the intention of sound and exemplary results. All of
these methods are worthy, significant and important; moreover, they are result
oriented.
Just some years
ago the situations and circumstances were not the same, as they are today.
Undoubtedly, the whole of the process at all levels and in all walks of life,
pertaining to society and, therefore, social sciences in particular is the
subject of continuous change. It is inevitable and definitely within the ambit
of the law of change and, therefore,
without the change; for, Gautama Buddha has two thousand and five hundred years
ago truly declared, “The law of change is without the change.” Thus, it can be
repeated, workshops, symposiums, seminars and open discussions like methods or
techniques are the best to provide platform to pave the way to explore and
proceed further. There is no other alternative available superior or better
than these today. However, what I am to urge,
first of all, particularly having the theme in hand as the nuclei is to make
these methods and techniques more concrete, effective, sincere and transparent.
It is needed in a country like India where programmes for capacity-building of
teachers and educators associated with various disciplines within the scope of
social sciences have their own special significance; however, we do lack this
in general. Our various programmes may seem well planned, sound and attractive,
but in the absence of these we definitely lack expected and worthy
results.
Secondly,
while making programmes for capacity-building of teachers-educators of social
sciences in context of other significant method or techniques and which are
also being adopted frequently in these days by our global colleagues all over
the world such as strategies, linkage, evaluation, policy research and
practical training, and more particularly regarding the partnership at national
and international levels, both, it does not matter if the thinking in the root
of them remains in global context, but it is absolutely necessary that local
and regional perspectives must be focal during the action. In more clear words,
local and regional circumstances should be the nuclei in the action plans. It
is for the reason that the impact of local, regional and national [particularly
in case of a small nation] circumstances or situations over a society remains
deep and intact. Social sciences are in reality for the dealing with social problems
on the capability of those associated with various disciplines within their
ambit. Therefore, only by this way their capacity-building could bring expected
fruits and prove to be the welfaristic.
Now, the other important thing I am to state here again is about
morality and ethics, which are, in fact, the two foremost pillars of value
education on the one hand and definitely the acid test of capacity built
through various programmes and planning on the other. When I talk of morality
and ethics, especially about their worth, place and importance in life, I make
duties and responsibilities to be their acid test. If the one performs her or
his duties well, she or he discharges her or his responsibilities, she or he,
thus, categorically follows morality and ethics. Societies to a large extent
function appropriately and smoothly on the strength of duties performed by its
members and on the basis of responsibilities discharged by those who make it.
This is the worth and importance of these two. We emphatically observe how the
spirit of duties and responsibilities is in the want today, and as consequent
shaking foundations of social institutions or societies. Therefore,
capacity-building of those associated with disciplines of social sciences on
the basis of them is inevitable and necessary. In all the programmes, planning,
techniques and strategies their presence is essential. Therefore, in all of the
programmes concerned this aspect has its own significance and importance, and
it calls for appropriate action in this regard.
*Note:
Based on extracts of a lecture at Academic Staff College of Devi Ahilya
Vishwavidyalaya, Indore [Madhya Pradesh], India on May 28, 2013.
Bibliography:
·
Audi,
Robert, Ed. 1955. The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy. London [UK]: The
Cambridge University Press.
·
Kumar,
Ravindra. 2013. Gandhi in Current Perspective. New Delhi [india]: Gyan
Publishing House.
·
Kumar,
Kumar, Ed. 2012, August. Global Peace International Journal of Philosophy,
Peace, Education, Culture and Civilization –Special Issue. Meerut: World Peace
Movement Trust.
