This essay seeks to explore to distinction between living in a world Free Essay Example

This essay seeks to explore to distinction between living in a world with standards and living in a standard world. It will do this by first defining what is meant by a ‘standard’, the sociological interpretation of a ‘standard world’, and the notion of ‘standardization’. This essay will look at the relevant theorists and their examination of the role of standards within the educational system as a practical example of a field with standards.

A ‘standard’ is recognised as being any norm, requirement or convention.

Raymond Williams traced the use of the modern authoritarian understanding of the term ‘standard’ back to the 15th Century. In 2003, Timmermans and Berg discerned that there are four subgroups in which standards fall. The four subcategories are: procedural, design, performance and terminological standards. (Almeling, 2009)

Procedural standard are standards which relate to actions. An example of a procedural standard would be setting out a set series of steps or actions that a lecturer is mandated to take if a student comes to them and is distressed.

Design standards relate to the features, structural specifications and properties of products and tools. An example of a design standard would be the shape and dimensions of a shipping container, these measurements are universal in order to facilitate their transport, movement and storage internationally.

Performance standards refer to the setting of outcome specifications, for example defining the minimum result required to pass an examination or assignment.

The fourth and final of the ‘standards’ subgroup of is the terminological standards, this category is concerned with the importance of the universality of terms and definitions.

Such universality allows for the transfer of information, diagnoses and understandings between individuals. An example of such a standard would be the International Classification of Diseases. (Epstein, 2010)

All societies develop standards, though they are often invisible. As capitalism developed and modern life became increasingly industrialised and mechanised, daily living has become increasingly dependent on the “creation, institutionalization and use of standards” (Balfe, 2018, p. 3).

Standards seemingly exist to make like easier for people and to facilitate smoother communication, travel and safety. The aforementioned examples of standards are intended to have a positive effect on the world, and, for the most part, they do. Though we live in a world with standards, our world is not standardized.

The Dictionary of Social Sciences defines ‘standardization’ as the “imposition of uniformity on a good or measure, generally in cases where data or products are unique or produced according to different criteria” (Calhoun, 2002). The concept of standardization assumes the existence of standards, while standards cannot “endure with any potency unless they are standardized across social domains” (Epstein, 2010, p. 71). Standardization is often closely associated with industrialisation and industrial uniformity. While standards themselves are typically viewed as positive, standardization is often viewed in a negative light that suggests one of its primary aims is to suppress creativity and individuality within society. However, a society having standards is useless without it also having a standardized aspect to it.

Let us evaluate education as a case study of the application of standards and standardization in an institutionalised setting. In the distinct majority of primary and especially second level educational settings in Ireland, the students’ appearance is standardized in that they wear a set uniform. Standards relating to piercings, hair, makeup, etc are employed in these institutions, however the extent to which they are enforced varies. The system of evaluating a students’ academic ability or intelligence relies heavily on the use of standardized examinations. These examinations are applied universally to every student in the class, year, etc. This form of assessment is efficient, in so far as it can be constructed to examine key learning points and is easier to correct as there are set criteria or methods which need to be met to get the marks. While in theory that seems like the most effective way to measure students, it does not allow for individual differences. Standardized testing simply measures a students’ proficiency relating to set academic areas, typically related to literacy or mathematics. While the results of such tests can be useful in evaluating the overall academic performance of a group or population, they “may not provide reliable estimates of achievement at the individual student level” (Kelleghan, 2010, p. 32).

The second industry which is standardized is the medical or healthcare industry. Similar to students in education there are some groups within the healthcare industry whose appearance is standardized by uniforms, the most prominent of which are scrubs and laboratory coats. While students must take standardized examinations to progress academically, medical professionals must take the HPAT, Health Professions Admission Test, in addition to meeting the Fitness to Practice standard requirements prior to training in or even being accepted onto undergraduate college or university courses which pertain to the medicine or healthcare. (Australian Council for Educational Research – ACER, 2018)

Standardization is of extreme importance when it comes to medical equipment, protocols and procedures. Medical equipment such as defibrillators and other life saving machines must be carefully constructed and routinely checked to ensure that they are fit for purpose and that, int the event of needing to use them, they will function as intended. All modern Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) are programmed to perform regular self-tests and will indicate any detected problems, however the owner or possessor of the device “should have a process in place for it to be checked regularly and frequently (ideally daily)” (Resuscitation Council (UK) and British Heart Foundation, 2013) in order to be aware of any problems with its functioning. This maintenance of AEDs is an example of a standard that would struggle to exist if the production of AEDs were not standardized and consequently subject to stringent regulations. All medical professionals are compelled to register with their respective medical council. In order to register they must first sign a document which declares that they will fully comply with the Code of Conduct for the Members of the Medical Council. There are also attempts to standardise the medical professionals’ interactions with patients or clients through the Medical Council’s Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Medical Practitioners which sets out a number of actions which they should undertake in addition to maintaining their clinical competence. The first of these actions is to “show integrity, compassion and concern for others in your day-to-day practice” (Medical Council, 2009, p. 10).

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