© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. CHAPTER 3 Social Contexts and Socioemotional Development

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER 3

Social Contexts and Socioemotional Development


Learning Goals

1. Describe two contemporary perspectives on socioemotional development: Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory and Erikson’s life-span development theory.

2. Discuss how the social contexts of families, peers, and schools are linked with socioemotional development.

3. Explain these aspects of children’s socioemotional development: self-esteem, identity, moral development, and coping with stress.


Social Contexts and

Socioemotional Development

ContemporaryTheories

Erikson’sLife-Span

Development Theory

Bronfenbrenner’sEcological

Theory


Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory

Bronfenbrenner’s theory focuses on the social contexts in which people live and the people who influence their development.


Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory cont’d

Microsystem: Direct interactions with parents, teachers, peers, and others.

Mesosystem: Linkages between microsystems such as family and school, and relationships between students and peers.

Exosystem: Experiences in settings in which a child does not have an active role influence the child’s experiences.


Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory cont’d

Macrosystem: The broader culture in which students and teachers live.

Chronosystem: The sociohistorical conditions of a student’s development.


Sid’s father left his family years ago and provides no support for them. Sid and his three siblings live with their mother in a public housing project for low-income families. They receive public assistance in the form of reduced rent, money to live on, and participation in a food program. Sid and his siblings receive free school lunches, and do not have to pay the standard book rental fee. In addition, they receive free medical care when ill or injured, but Sid’s mother considers the care they receive to be substandard. Recently, she contacted legal aid about obtaining child support from her children’s father

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory Theory into Practice

Q.1: What aspects of Sid’s microsystem are discussed in the example? Explain.

Q.2: What aspects of Sid’s exosystem are discussed in

the example? Explain.


Sid’s father left them years ago and provides no support for the family. Sid and his three siblings live with their mother in a public housing project for low-income families. They receive public assistance in the form of reduced rent, money to live on, and participate in a food program. Sid and his siblings receive free school lunches, and do not have to pay the standard book rental fee. In addition, they receive free medical care when ill or injured, but Sid’s mother considers the care they receive to be substandard. Recently, she contacted legal aid about obtaining child support from her children’s father.

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory Theory into Practice

Q.3: How is the mesosystem currently operating for Sid? Explain.


Bronfenbrenner’s Theory in the Classroom

Think about children embedded in several environmental systems and influences

Attend to connections between school and families

Recognize the importance of community, culture, and socioeconomic status


Erikson’s Life-Span Development Theory

Development proceeds in stages

Each stage is characterized by a psychosocial challenge or crisis

Stages reflect the motivation of the individual


Erik Erikson’s Eight Stages of Human Development

1 - Trust vs. mistrust

2 - Autonomy vs. shame and doubt

3 - Initiative vs. guilt

4 - Industry vs. inferiority

5 - Identity vs. identity confusion

6 - Intimacy vs. isolation

7 - Generativity vs. stagnation

8 - Integrity vs. despair


Erikson’s Human Development Stages

1 - Trust vs. Mistrust

0–1 years

2 - Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt 1–3 years

3 - Initiative vs. Guilt3–5 years

Developed through consistent love and support

Independence fostered by support and encouragement

Developed by exploring and accepting challenges



4 - Industry vs. Inferiority6 years–puberty

5 - Identity vs. Role ConfusionAdolescence

6 - Intimacy vs. IsolationEarly adult years

Mastery comes from success and recognition

Exploration of different paths to attain a healthy identity

Form positive, close relationships with others



7 - Generativity vs. StagnationMiddle Adulthood

8 - Integrity vs. DespairLate Adulthood

Transmitting something positive to the next generation

Life review and retrospective evaluation of one’s past


Strategies for Erikson’s Stages of Development

Initiative Encourage social play Have children assume responsibility Structure assignments for success

Industry Nourish motivation for mastery Be tolerant of honest mistakes

Identity Recognize that identity is multidimensional Encourage independent thinking Stimulate students to examine different

perspectives


Social Contexts and


Social Contextsof Development

Families Peers Schools


Baumrind’s Parenting Styles

AuthoritarianParents are restrictive and punitive. Children tend to be socially incompetent, anxious, and exhibit poor

communication skills.

IndulgentParents are highly

involved but set few restrictions. Children have

poor self-control.

NeglectfulParents are uninvolved. Children have poor self-

control, don’t handle independence well, and low

achievement motivation.

AuthoritativeParents are nurturing and supportive, yet set limits. Children are self-reliant, get along with peers, and have

high self-esteem.


The Changing Family

Working parents Nature of parents’ work matters

Children in divorced families The quality of parental relationships, timing of

divorce, use of support systems, type of custody, SES, and quality schooling all affect children.

Elementary school children did best when the parent and the school environment were authoritative.

Children in stepfamilies Show more adjustment problems than children in

intact families, especially during adolescence


Ethnic and Socioeconomic Variations in Families

Minority students Families tend to be larger; depend more

on the extended family for support Single parents are more common Less educated; lower income

Low-income parents Tend to value external characteristics

such as obedience and neatness See education as the teachers’ job


Ethnic and Socioeconomic Variations in Families

Middle-class families Often place high value on internal

characteristics such as self-control and delayed gratification

See education as a mutual responsibility


School-Family Linkages

Communicate effectively with families about school programs and their child’s progress

Involve families with their children in learning activities at home

Encourage parents to be volunteers

Provide assistance to families

Coordinate community collaboration

Include families as participants in school decisions


Peer Statuses

NeglectedInfrequently

“best friend”;

not disliked by peers

RejectedSeldom “best

friend”; often actively

disliked by peers

PopularFrequently

nominated as best friend;

rarely disliked by peers


Peer Statuses

ControversialFrequently

“best friend”;often disliked

by peers

AverageReceive both positive and

negative peer nominations


Friendships

Quality of Friendships

Affect Outcomes

Reflect: What is a friend?


Early Childhood and Elementary School

Developmentally appropriate practices Early Childhood Approaches

Reggio Emilia Montessori Academic versus child-centered

Transition to elementary schools


Schools for Adolescents

Transition to Middle or Junior HS Stressful due to developmental changes Top-dog phenomenon Academic challenge

Carnegie Corporation 1989 Recommendations

Improving America’s High Schools High expectations for all students Improve drop-out rates


Social Contexts and



The SelfMoral

DevelopmentCoping with

Stress


Self-Concept and Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is the affective or emotional reaction to one’s self-concept.

Self-concept is a cognitive appraisal of our social, physical, and academic competence.

CognitiveAcademic Social Physical


Improving Children’s Self-Esteem

Identify causes of low self-esteem and areas of competence important to the self

Provide emotional support and social approval

Help children achieve

Develop coping skills


Marcia’s Four Statuses of Identity


Ethnic Identity …

“is an enduring aspect of the self that includes a sense of membership in an ethnic group,

along with the attitudes and feeling related to that membership” (Phinney, 2006) (as cited in

Santrock, 2009).

Positive ethnic identity Higher school engagement Lower aggression Navajo adolescents: higher self-esteem, school

connectedness, and social functioning


Kohlberg’s Levels of Moral Development

Preconventional

Conventional

Postconventional

Moral reasoning is controlled by external rewards and punishments.

Internal standards are imposed by others.

Morality is internal, not based on external standards.


Sam starts to get out of his seat to sharpen his pencil without permission. He stops because he realizes that if he does, others might also do so and this could result in disorder in the classroom. Because of this, he understands that it is his duty to follow the rules.

Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development Theory into Practice

Q: At which of Kohlberg’s stages of moral development is Sam functioning?


Sam starts to get out of his seat to sharpen his pencil without permission. He stops because he realizes that if he does, he will be punished.

Q: At which of Kohlberg’s stages of moral development is Sam functioning? Explain.



Sam starts to get out of his seat to sharpen his pencil without permission. He stops because he realizes that if he does, it will displease his teacher.

Q: At which of Kohlberg’s stages of moral development is Sam functioning? Explain.



Care vs. Justice Perspective

Justice perspective focuses on rights of individuals

Care perspective emphasizes

relationships and concern for others


Reflection & Observation

Reflection: Recall a cheating incident. What

factors influenced the decision to cheat?


Enter the Debate

Should teachers teach students values/morality?

YES NO


Moral Education

1. Hidden Curriculum

School personnel serve as models of ethical behavior.

Classroom rules and peer relationships transmit positive attitudes to students.

2. Character Education

Schools take a direct approach to teaching moral literacy and design an environment that rewards proper behavior.


Moral Education

3. Values Clarification

Schools design programs that allow students to clarify their own values and understand the values

of others.

4. Cognitive Moral EducationSchools base programs on the belief that students should learn to value things like democracy and justice as moral reasoning develops.


Moral Education

5. Service Learning

Schools encourage students to be involved in the community by becoming a tutor, helping the

elderly, volunteering in hospitals or day care, etc.

6. Integrative Approach

Schools encourage students to be reflective moral thinkers and committed to justice, and develop children’s moral character.


Crack the CaseThe Case of the Fight

1. What are the issues in this case?

2. At what stage of moral development would you expect these boys to be, based on the information you have? What predictions can you make regarding each boy’s sense of self and emotional development?

3. What can you say about the boys’ mothers?


4. What do you think about the punishment that Luke received? How would you have handled this situation?

5. What impact do you think this will have on the boys’ future relationship? What impact will it have on their attitudes toward school?

Crack the CaseThe Case of the Fight


Strategies for Coping with Stress

Reassure children Encourage talk Protect from re-exposure to stress Help make sense

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© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. CHAPTER 3 Social Contexts and Socioemotional Development