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

(1)从1830年起，人们尝试了许多改变英国力学学院活动的尝试，其中之一是发展娱乐设施，这些设施通常带有教育倾向。最大量的健全教育与最大量的廉价和无害的娱乐相结合：展览，主要是火车娱乐，音乐娱乐，茶或咖啡聚会。教育节目中悄悄加入了娱乐元素。(2)曼彻斯特力学学会经历了早期困难和后来观念和工作变化的典型阶段。从1830年开始，可以观察到教育政策的扩大，越来越多的重点放在更广泛的社会活动上。值得注意的是，这种趋势与本杰明·海伍德表达的观点密切相关，他在1825年至1840年期间作为力学研究所的主席提出了倡议。正如他在曼彻斯特力学研究所发表的演讲（1843年）所显示的那样，他开始考虑推进他的政策，将放松和娱乐与知识交流结合起来，这是力学研究所成立时的主要目的。(3)社会活动具有重要的教育意义和社会意义；为成员提供合理的娱乐，熟悉人们之间的礼貌品味，促进社会和谐。

(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.