Children’s Identity Development Chapter 2

What Children Are Like Young children curious about their own and others’ physical and cultural characteristics: From their first year of life, children begin to notice differences and similarities among the people who surround them; Toddlers begin to notice and comment on gender and racial differences; By age 3, children begin asking questions about their own and others’ racial identity, language, gender, and physical disabilities: By age 4, children begin to show awareness of family structures and economic class differences

Cont. Children begin to construct a personal sense of self and multiple social identities: Personal identity includes our name, our specific family, age, talents and interests; personal identity is what most teachers think about when they are planning ways to nurture children’s positive self concepts; All people are born into specific social identities (racial identity, gender, culture, language, economic class, family structure, sexual orientation, abilities and disabilities) and may obtain others as adults.

Children learn about their own and others’ social identities through both overt and covert messages: Begins in our family. Some of what children learn about their own and others’ social identities come from overt (direct messages, spelled out) lessons (boys don’t cry) (law that prohibits gay marriages); Some learn about social identities from covert (indirect messages and hidden) (ex. “people are all alike, we should treat all people with respect”) and yet their family may not interact with people different from themselves

Young Children Learn who is and isn’t important: When children see in the pictures only two-parent families, they may learn that this is the “right” family

Children try to make sense of all that they see and hear: Teachers must expand and correct children’s ideas Young children develop pre-prejudice as they absorb negative attitudes, misinformation, and stereotypes about various aspects of human diversity

Children Begins to Construct their own versions of who belongs in their country: to be aware of the power dynamics linked to social identities: They quickly absorb messages power relationships (who is the boss) Internalized oppression – is a set of hurtful, inaccurate beliefs about oneself in relation to one’s social group that results in behavior such as self-and group rejection, shame, and even self-hate Internalized privilege – is a set of hurtful inaccurate beliefs that entitled to advantages and benefits more than the other groups

Resources Racial stereotypes/discrimination http://searchcenter.intelecomonline.net/playClipDirect.aspx?id=16499A3C13AF531759BD8667FAF09CC66F7EAB4E3DD4D62 909A0C825FA30FA0DAE384BDD3A21946E90B91FED448802EA Immigrant families in the USA http://searchcenter.intelecomonline.net/playClipDirect.aspx?id=16499A3C13AF531759BD8667FAF09CC66F7EAB4E3DD4D6298E 63185B3439292A75459909788D3FE64F03E65C80AEA912 http://searchcenter.intelecomonline.net/playClipDirect.aspx?id=16499A3C13AF531759BD8667FAF09CC66F7EAB4E3DD4D62961 648E7FF0D708B2C20EEFCA61A78FAFB472B9922CCB50DF