Module Profile | Overview | Full Concept Map 
Module 1: The developing person

Section 3

Influences 
on 
development
Socialisation   Family | Educational setting | Peers | Media | Culture  Readings | Activity | Optional Multiple Choice Test 
Trauma   Stress | Fear | Grief | Resilience  Readings | Activity  
Now that we have considered the process of growth and development in section two, let’s take the time to consider some of the external influences on a child’s development: socialising agents in our society and the forms of trauma that children may experience.
   
These influences on socialisation have the capacity to effect the child both in their daily experience and in the longer term.
 
     
 

Socialisation

In order for children to interact effectively within the community and society as a whole they must be socialised.  Socialisation refers to the role that mature members play in guiding the behaviours of children in the social context.  As a teacher you are involved in socialising children on a daily basis.

Take a moment to jot down some of your ideas about the ways that you actively socialise the children in your care.

If you recall, in section two we discussed Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model of development. The various systems presented in this model highlighted the significance of family, educational setting, peers, media and culture in a child’s overall development.  Lets now consider some of these influences independently.    

Family

Who do you depend on in your life?  Who do you go to for support or guidance?  Consider your earliest memories, who is present in these memories?   For many of you, it will be your family.

A family may be defined in the formal sense as a social group related by blood.  In the personal sense, family will mean different things to different people.  Families today may consist of a variety of different structures, for example:

Many of these forms of family are a far cry from the traditional nuclear family that was the norm throughout much of the last century.

Throughout this module we have seen the important role the family plays in the overall development of the individual child across the areas of physical, cognitive, moral, social and emotional development. The family has the capacity to play a positive or negative role in a child’s overall development.

The socioeconomic status, cultural orientation and religious affiliation of a family will influence the development of a child’s evolving beliefs, values and attitudes. Contrast your own views with the views of a student’s family.  Can you identify any similarities and differences?

A variety of common trends related to the family are developing.  Some of these include:

  

Educational setting

Outside the family, educational setting has the greatest capacity to influence the socialisation of children. Some variables that may influence the ability of the educational context to socialise the child include: How do some of these variables influence your ability to socialise children on a daily basis?    

Peers

The peer group plays a pivotal role in a child’s socialisation. For example, it is with our peers that we learn how to get along with others, we learn social and cultural roles, we develop morals & values and gain support and security. Although adults guide us in the aforementioned areas, it is through play and experimentation that children are able to fully experiment with and adopt roles.

Depending on the age and developmental level of the child, they may be involved with their peers in a variety of ways.  Some of these include informal groups, play, games, friendship, and cliques.  Consider the context in which you work, is there evidence of these types of play and groupings in your setting?

Depending on the age of the child, parents have the capacity to influence the sociability of their children.  Parents are able to do so by providing opportunities for play, providing suitable materials for a child’s stage of development, allowing children to mix across age groups and by considering the cultural values of the play group in which their child is involved.

A child’s interaction with their peer group exposes them to a variety of social issues; this is particularly common as children move toward adolescence.  Some of these issues include:

Sadly, many of these issues traditionally considered teenage concerns are creeping their way down into the primary school grades.    

Media

When we consider the media, the image of television immediately springs to mind.  While television can play a key socialising role, it is important that we do not discount the role of the radio, magazines/comics, books, film, and computer/internet access.

A variety of issues related to children’s exposure to the media have arisen in the past for debate, some of these include:

As teachers we need to develop in our students a sense of critical literacy.  By this I mean the ability to critically evaluate and reflect on what they are seeing/hearing.    

Culture

When we consider culture, we usually think about the skills, beliefs, arts and customs of a group of people.  These elements work together to guide the behaviour of such groups.  As teachers we need to be aware of the ways that differing cultures will influence a child’s behaviour.  Such differences in behavioural expectation may relate to clothing, foods, religious practice, gender roles and expectations, communication etc.  As teachers we must deal with these differences with sensitivity and respect.  How you respond to these cultural differences will influence the way that children in your care may also respond.   

Readings

The following readings discuss a variety of issues associated with socialisation.
 
  
Stop and think    

Take a minute to post your ideas on the forum and to debate some of the other issues presented.   
 

 1. Reflect on your student cohort. How many of the children in your care are from differing cultural backgrounds.  Are there significant differences in expectation and behaviour in these communities?  What might some of these differences be?  Are there differences in the ways that children from differing cultures interact with their peers? How do you cater for this difference on a daily basis?  Are there any specific developmental considerations to come from these differences?   

2. Consider the role of the media in socialisation. How might you go about developing the ability to critically evaluate and reflect in the children you teach? 
     
 

Optional Multiple Choice Test

Optional multiple choice test from, Berk, L., Child development, 5th edn, Companion Websites.
 
 
 

Trauma

Trauma is a word used frequently in the English language to describe a variety of things.  In the context of this module we will use the term to describe adverse experience that may have long term lasting effects on a specific aspect of development or on a child’s overall development.  There are a variety of forms of trauma that may effect children: stress, fear and grief.    

Stress

Stress refers to the adverse physical reaction that occurs in response to specific internal or external demands.  For example, a child may become stressed over a perceived inability to swim during swimming classes. It is important at this time to highlight the notion of individual difference.  Individuals will respond to stress and stressors in a variety of different ways.

Stress may occur as a result of two things:

As teachers we are consistently exposed to individual children on a regular basis.  As such we are able to note changes in a child’s behaviour and persona as they occur. Some of the symptoms of stress include:
  

Fear

 In this context we may refer to fear as a feeling of concern or anxiety about or for something.  All individuals, both adult and child, experience fear in some form or other.  Children may generally experience a sense of fear as a result of the following:
  

Grief

Grief refers to the mental suffering that may be experienced as a result of affliction or loss. Grief may arise as a result of death, natural disasters, family breakdown, accidents, shooting, kidnapping etc. Grief may present itself in a variety of ways: Again, as a classroom teacher you play a key role along with family members in supporting a child through his/her grief.  As you would be aware, it is part of your role to deal sensitively and supportively with children and families in these situations.    

Resilience

In the previous discussion of stress, fear and grief it may have occurred to you that some children will cope differently in difficult situations than others. How do we explain that some children appear to come through quite severe scenarios of child abuse and neglect relatively unscathed?  It is here that the notion of resilience comes into play.

Studies have shown that those children that are reflective, positively responsive, and have a caring adult in their lives are more likely to be resilient in stressful situations. That is, they are more able to cope in difficult situations.
 

  

Readings

There are no set readings for this aspect of the module.

The following web resources may be useful in providing a more detailed view of some more specific examples of stress, fear and grief.
 

  
 
Stop and think    

Prepare a response to one of the following scenarios and post your response to the forum.    

In your response address the following issues:   

  1. What response might you expect the children involved to display as a result of the trauma they are experiencing?
  2. How might the children’s ages, stages (cognitive, moral, psychosocial etc) and genders influence how and to what extent they might act out their emotions in the learning environment?
  3. What are some potential teaching or management strategies you may use?
  4. What if anything are you as the teacher obliged to do in this situation with respect to the mandatory notification of suspected abusive situations legislation?
 Early Childhood   
A mother comes to enrol her two children in your service.  She explains that they are using a false surname because the man connected with them has just been released from jail and they don’t wish to be traced by him.  The children are affected by the man’s release.  The mother hopes the man will return to jail ‘where he belongs’ very soon.   

Primary   
A year six boy’s family actively consumes and deals in illicit drugs.  The child is caught showing drugs to friends in the school toilets.  The School reports the incident to the police.  After the police talk with the boy, and after he has spent the whole day outside the principal’s office, he aggressively asks if he can have the drugs back.   

Special Education   
A seven year old boy, in a class for children with mild intellectual disability (IM), has been sexually assaulted by his father. The violent eleven year old brother blames the younger brother for the father having to leave the house.  The mother goes through custody proceedings in court.  She cries herself to sleep most nights according to the seven year old.  The child is already acting out his emotions by running out of class, hiding under tables, and physically assaulting other students. 
    
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