1. Ch. 6: Societal Influences on Children and Families
Child Development 11 Winter 2018 Dr. Smith

2. Learning Outcomes In this chapter you will learn:
Explain how socialization and the family relate to issues of bias
Explain how schools act as socializing agents
Describe the peer group as an agent of socialization
Identify the ways that the media influence socialization

3. Socialization and the Family
The family is the first and major socializing agent and as such it has responsibility for early socialization patterns.
The family Is a microsystem in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model.
In the past, outside agents in the mesosystem and exosystem were fewer in the child’s immediate life but today the exosystem with its media and technology play a big role in socializing outside the family.
Studies have shown that language development that watch videos and compared to babies who don’t watch do not gain any language development.

4. Socialization and the Family (Cont.)
Language is sometimes seen as a divider
Many families have a primary focus of attention (ie: religion, music, political activists, etc).
The family not only gives the child status but also makes him or her aware of the status of others.
Family members teach, whether consciously or not, whom to copy and whom not to copy.

5. Issues of Bias
Bias-prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.
Bias is everywhere, not just in social class and income level.
WE feel bias because of our gender, skin color, ethnic background, the way we talk, body type or physical condition, mental capabilities, age, sexual orientation, the amount of money or education our family has, or our family configuration.

6. Issues of Bias (cont.) Bias hurts everyone
We need to become sensitized of our areas of privilege and how bias works.
We need to become sensitized to help ourselves and others think critically and to speak up In the face of bias.
The key empowerment

7. Issues of Bias (cont.)
Classism-Prejudice or discrimination based on class. For some Americans, social class is hard to see, because we as a society deny the existence of such a thing.
Racism-a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race the counterpart of racism is privilege

8. Issues of Bias (cont.)
Privilege can be thought of as an “invisible package of unearned assets” Those who have it are quite unaware of their privilege
Jane Elliot

9. Schools as Socializing Agents
A huge issue in early childhood education that has an effect on socialization is school readiness.
The readiness approaches become problematic when they are more concerned with the intellect and particularly academic skills without regard to the role that social-emotional development plays in “getting children ready”

10. Schools as Socializing Agents (cont.)
Classroom Behavior-most public school classroom teachers depend on parents to send their children to school with ingrained behaviors that allow them to perform according to the rules and enable them to learn in the style other school sees as appropriate to the group size and the ratio of children to teachers.

11. Schools as Socializing Agents (cont.)
Responding to Diversity-the school environment reflects the attitudes of the people who create it.
Some Teachers that say that claim to be color-blind, in their attempt not to be bigoted, they ignore differences, thinking that noticing them shows prejudices.
Other teachers regard differences as important and acknowledge them.

12. Schools as Socializing Agents (cont.)
They accept and promote differences in an attempt to increase understanding and acceptance of them.
“multicultural tourist” approach is not culturally sensitive or responsible.
Equipping children with their social-emotional development will help with a child’s academic success

13. Schools as Socializing Agents (cont.)
An anti-bias approach aims at true integration and equity, regarding empowerment as an issue.
Teachers who use this approach teach their children to be sensitive to realities different from their own as well as to think critically about injustices.
A full anti-bias curriculum includes promoting equity for all aspects of human diversity-culture, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and age.

14. Schools as Socializing Agents (cont.)
Inequity and Schools-children who live in areas with a wealthier tax base are more likely to attend schools in better conditions.

15. The peer group as an agent of socialization
Toddlers, in group situations, they often play side by side-aware of each other but not interacting very often. Toddlers, in group situations, they often play side by side-aware of each other but not interacting very often.
Peer groups become a solid group that includes activities, norms, interests, rules, traditions, expressions, and gestures of its own.

16. The peer group as an agent of socialization (cont.)
The peer group becomes a subculture.
Children’s choices of playmates are sometimes affected by gender.
Behavior contagion- is a type of social influence. It refers to the propensity for certain behavior exhibited by one person to be copied by others either in the vicinity of the original user, or who have been exposed to media coverage describing the behavior.

17. The peer group as an agent of socialization
Communication among peers can involve a very sophisticated set of signals.
Children aren’t taught to play pretend. They learn from each other’s cues.
Being able to identify positive and negative emotions are learned

18. Functions of the Peer Group
The peer group functions so that children learn to give and take as equals.
The peer group has its own system of modifying behavior through rewards and punishments, which mostly come in the form of acceptance and rejection. (ex: I won’t be your friend)

19. Functions of the Peer Group (cont.)
Peer groups also teach lessons (ie; sex ed).
Adults can help children get along with their peers by modeling desirable behavior, reinforce children when they display it, and coach children in social skills.
Parents have a big influence on their children’s peer relationship

20. The media and Technology as an influence on socialization
T.V. has an influence on children from a very young age and affects their cognitive development as well as their social development.
The average child watches 3 to 4 hours of television a day.
Children learn about the world and the ways of the society through t.v. Also they learn the current themes and issues.
They learn stereotypes and a lot of misleading information about their world.

21. The media and Technology as an influence on socialization (cont.)
Commercial advertising
Help parents discuss the effects of advertising on children can give them new views on consumerism. (ie: cereal placement)

22. The media and Technology as an influence on socialization (cont.)
Violence
8 of 10 programs for children contain violence. Averaging 5 violent acts per hour on prime time and on Saturday morning cartoons have an average of 20 per hour.
The discussion of television=aggressive behavior or aggressive Behavior leads to more television.
Television is a powerful teaching tool bc it’s in virtually in every home.
T.V. has positive and negative behaviors
T.V. works best when adults watch with children and explain to them what they are watching.