Social Contexts and Socioemotional Development

I. Contemporary Theories

A. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory

(Addresses the social contexts in which children develop)

1. 5 Environmental Systems

(Range from close interpersonal interaction to broad-based influences of culture)

a. Microsystem – the individual spends considerable time in this environment (not a passive recipient of experiences but interacts with others and helps to construct the settings)

b. Mesosystem – linkages between microsystems (One microsystem can affect experience in another microsystem)

c. Exosystem – experiences in another setting influence what students and teachers experience in the immediate context (A particular Board in the District may set policies that affect the student’s development)

d. Macrosystem – the broader culture in which students and teachers live, including the society’s values and custom (Culture includes the roles of ethnicity and socioeconomic factors in children’s development)

e. Chronosystem – sociohistorical conditions of students’ development (the time in history of growth)

2. Evaluating Bronfenbrenner’s Theory

a. Provides a framework for examining social contexts on both micro and macro levels

b. When examining the teacher must consider what goes on in the classroom and what happens in the student’s families, neighborhoods, and peer groups.

c. Critics say His theory does not give attention to biological and cognitive factors in children’s development.

B. Erikson’s Life-Span Development Theory (major changes in children’s socioemotional development)

1. 8 Stages of Human Development

(Each stage consists of a crisis. Which Erikson views as a turning point, the more successful the individual resolves each crisis, and the more psychologically healthy the individual will be. Each stage has both positive and negative sides.)

a. Trust versus mistrust – Infancy

The development of trust produces comfort and minimal fear. The negative occurs when the infant is ignored.

b. Autonomy versus shame and doubt – Late infancy and the toddler years (positive assert independence, negative show shame and doubt)

c. Initiative versus guilt – Early childhood (3 to 5 years)

(Positive develop a sense of responsibility, negative develop guilt feelings)

d. Industry versus inferiority – Elementary school years (6 years to puberty or early adolescence)

e. Identity versus identity confusion – Adolescence years

(Adolescence should be allowed to explore different paths to attain a healthy identity. If not allowed to explore, they can remain confused about their identity.)

f. Intimacy versus isolation – early adult years (20’s and 30’s)

[Finding oneself but losing oneself in another person. But one fails to form intimate relationship with a romantic partner or friend and becomes socially isolated, may cause a dark cloud over their lives.]

g. Generativity versus stagnation – middle adulthood (40’s and 50’s)

To transmit something positive to the next generation.

h. Integrity versus despair – Late adulthood(60’s to death)

Retrospective evaluations are positive then integrity. But despair if in contrast

2. Evaluating Erikson’s Theory

a. His theory changed the focus on human development to be lifelong not just in childhood.

b. Critics believe the stages may not always appear in order.

II. Social Contexts of Development

A. Families

1. Parenting Styles(Baumrind says that parenting styles come in 4 main forms)

a. Authoritarian – restrictive and punitive

b. Authoritative – encourages children to be independent but still place limits and controls on their actions. Extensive verbal give-and-take is allowed and parents are nurturant and supportive.

c. Neglectful – a permissive form of parenting in which parents are uninvolved in their children’s lives.

d. Indulgent – a parenting style in which parents are highly involved with their children but place few limits or restrictions on their behaviors.

2. The Changing Family in a Changing Society

a. Children of Divorce – The use of support systems, an ongoing positive relationship between the custodial parent and the ex-spouse, being able to meet financial needs and quality schooling help children adjust to the stressful circumstances of divorce.

b. Ethic and Socioeconomic Variations in Families – Teachers should guard against having biased expectations about parents based on their ethnicity.

3. School-Family Linkages

a. Bronfenbrenner’s theory gives importance to the linkages between the family and the school as a mesosystem.

b. Teachers’ think it is extremely important to get parents involved in the child’s education.

B. Peers

1. Peer Relations – peers are children of about the same age or maturity level

a. Peers provide a source of information and comparison about the world outside of the family.

b. Poor peer relations were associated with dropping out of school and delinquent behavior in adolescence.

2. Peer Statuses

a. Popular children – are frequently nominated as a best friend and are rarely disliked by their peers.

b. Neglected children – are infrequently nominated as a best friend but are not disliked by their peers.

c. Rejected children – are infrequently nominated as someone’s best friend and are often actively disliked by their peers.

d. Controversial children – are frequently nominated both as someone’s best friend and as being disliked.

3. Friendship

(Benefits)

a. Companionship

b. Physical support

c. Ego support

d. Intimacy/affection

4. Developmental Changes in Peer Relations

a. Elementary peers are usually the same-sex

b. Early adolescence peers are increasingly coed

c. Secondary school friendship is more likely to determine peers

C. Schools

1. School’s Changing Social Developmental Contexts

a. Early Childhood and Elementary School Education

- This setting is a protected environment whose boundary is the classroom

- In the elementary school the classroom is still the main context

- The teacher symbolizes authority, which establishes the climate of classroom, the conditions of social interaction, and the nature of group functioning

- The materials and the teaching practices used should be developmentally appropriate

- Education for Disadvantage Children(Project Head Start was designed to provide young children from low-income families opportunities to acquire the skills and experiences that are important for success in school

III. Socioemotional Development

1. The Self

a. Self-Esteem – self-worth or self-image and reflects an individual’s overall confidence and satisfaction

Themselves

(low self-esteem can translate into other, more serious problems)

b. Identity Development

James Marcia(1980, 1998)

- Identity diffusion – adolescents have not yet explored meaningful alternatives or made commitments

- Identity foreclosure – Made a commitment but have not adequately explored alternative avenues

- Identity moratorium – In the midst of exploring alternative courses of action but their commitments either are absent or only vaguely defined

- Identity achievement – explored and chosen a path

2. Moral Development –

a. Moral Development – rules and conventions about just interactions between people

b. Cognitive domain – how students reason or think about rules for ethical conduct

c. Behavioral domain – how students actually behave rather than on the morality of their thinking

d. Emotional domain- how students morally feel

e. Piaget develop a stage theory of moral development

- Heteronomous morality – 4-7years, Justice and rules are conceived of as unchangeable properties of the world, removed from the control of people

- Autonomous morality – 10 or older, Rules and laws are created by people and that, in judging an action, the actor’s intentions as well as the consequences should be considered

- Immanent justice- If a rule is broken, punishment will be meted out immediately

f. Kohlberg’s Theory

- Lawrence Kohlberg (76 & 86)

- Moral development involves moral reasoning and unfolds in stages

- Key concept to understand is internalization (this refers to the developmental change from behavior that is externally controlled to behavior that is internally controlled)

- Stages

· Preconventional reasoning is the lowest level of moral development. (No internalization of moral values are shown)[Moral reasoning is controlled by eternal rewards and punishment]

· Conventional reasoning is the intermediate level. (Internalization is intermediate)[Morals are imposed by other people]

· Postconventional reasoning is the highest level. Morality is completely internalized and not based on external standards.

(Kohlberg and Piaget thought that the mutual give-and-take of peer relations promotes more advanced moral thinking because of the role-taking opportunities they provide children)

g. Critics of Kohlberg

· His theory places to much emphasis on moral thinking and not enough on moral behavior

· His theory is too individualistic (Gilligan describes Kohlberg’s theory as having a justice perspective that focuses on the rights of the individual, to stand alone.)

· The care perspective views people in terms of their connectedness

· Gilligan discovered girls interpret moral dilemmas in terms of human relationships, not in terms of one’s rights.

h. Moral Education

- John Dewey discovered a “hidden curriculum” (this conveyed by the moral atmosphere that is a part of every school)

- Character education – involves teaching students basic moral literacy to prevent them from engaging in immoral behavior and doing harm to themselves or others

- Values clarification – students are encouraged to define their own values and to understand the values of others

- Cognitive Moral Education – students should learn to value things like democracy and justice as their moral reasoning develop

- Service Learning – it promotes social responsibility and service to the community

3. Exploring Emotion

a. Positive affectivity (PA) – Joy and happiness are examples of positive affectivity

b. Negative affectivity (NA) - negative emotions anger, guilt, and sadness

c. Emotional Intelligence –Goleman’s thoughts- emotional self-awareness (separating feelings from actions), managing emotions (controlling anger), reading emotions (perspective of others), handling relationships (solving problems)

4. Adolescent Problems

THE BIG FOUR

a. Drug abuse

b. Juvenile Delinquency

c. Adolescent Pregnancy

d. School-Related Problems

Common Components of Successful Programs

(Reducing adolescent problems)

1. Intensive individualized attention (relationship building)

2. Community-wide multiagency collaboration