Social and Educational Significance of "Social Activitiers" in English Mechanics' Institutes

1998 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 08610252
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Educaion
• Research Institution: NAGOYA UNIVERSITY
• Principal Investigator: KATOH Shoji Nagoya University, School of Education, Professor, 教育学部, 教授 (00109232)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 飯島 薫 名古屋大学, 教育学部, 助手 (30252208)
• Project Period (FY): 1996 – 1998
• Keywords: Mechanics' Institute / Manchester Mechanics' Institution / Benjamin Heywood / Rational Recreation / Exhibition / Excursion / Social Gatherings / Social Control

Research Abstract

(1) Many attempts to change the activities in English Mechanics' Institutes were tried from 1830 onwards, One of which was the development of facilities for recreation usually with an educational bias. The largest amount of sound instruction was combined with the largest amount of cheap and innocent amusements : exhibition, recreation mainly by trains, musical entertainments, tea or coffee parties. An element of entertainment crept into the educational programme.
(2) Manchester Mechanics' Institution passed through the typical phases of early difficulties and later changes in outlook and its works. From 1830 the broading of educational policy can be observed and increasingly the stress was placed in the wider social activities. Noteworthy such trend was more closely associated with the expressed ideas of Benjamin Heywood who had initiative of the Mechanics' Institution as a president for 1825-1840. As his Addresses Delivered at the Manchester Mechanics' Institution (1843) shows, he became to have a view to advancing his policy of combining relaxation and amusements with communication of knowledge which was the main purpose at the inauguration of the Mechanics' Institution.
(3) Social activities has an important meanings from educational and social viewpoints ; to afford rational amusements to the members, to familialise the polite taste among people, and to promote the social harmony in the society.