TOPIC THREE: SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Objectives
By the end of the topic, learners should be able to;
1. Describe the stages of social development
2. Outline factors Affecting Social Development
3. Explain the role of the family in social development
4. Evaluate the effects of social development on teaching/learning activities
5. Explain the teacher will apply the social development theories to leaning

Introduction
 Social development is the process through which children learn to build relationships. It
involves learning the values, attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary to understand how
to get along with others. Everyday experiences at home support children's developing
social skills.
Our first social responses are to our parents and the other members of the family, then
through our wider circle of friends and relatives to the people of our community.
 The outcome of how we feel towards other people is how we have been taught to feel by
direct or indirect means.
 For Children to Practice desired social skills, adults need to Coach and support those
who find it difficult to join in groups, Label and encourage positive social behavior and
model what they want to see.
 We can also use bibliotherapy or religious teachings at home and elsewhere to look at
different viewpoints
 Social development occurs within relationships
 Social skills are crucial to success at school and in the world as a whole
First Friends
 For their first few years, most children are exposed largely to family members and
close family friends.
 Being on the receiving end of the unconditional love and acceptance that family
provides gives children a solid base of confidence and self-esteem from which they
are able to build further social attachments.
 The values and standards which control the behavior of an individual are always those
of people who most attract him or her
  There are set of rules, regulations, contact and custom that regulate the child’s
behavior in every society so long as these are the only standards which he has an
opportunity to see or experience, he is very likely to accept them as his own.
 Other forces will be at work on him too, e g at school he will be influenced six hours
every day by his class mates, the other school children, the teacher and all the
standards of the school
 Parents and teachers should intervene when necessary especially when children are
ignored.
 Teachers should teach problem solving skills: show and practice problem solving with
puppets/role play
 Childhood friendships provide kids with much more than just people to play with.
Learning to make friends as well as learning to be a good friend are important parts of
a child's social development skills that will help them to find success in both their
personal and professional lives.
Learning through Play
 Most of the learning that young children do is through play, and building social
competence is not different. Typically, 2–3-year-olds will initially play side-by-side,
rather than directly with one another, but as they observe each other and become
comfortable, the little ones will begin to interact and share toys.
 By preschool, kids become even more interactive, engaging each other in simple
conversation. They will talk about the things that they did after school or on the
weekend and respond positively to the stories of their friends.
 This give-and-take is a great step in social development as they work from being self-
focused to other-focused.
Looking Out for One Another
 As friendships develop, kids become increasingly aware of the feelings of other
people, expressing happiness when their friends are happy and showing empathy for a
friend's hurt feelings.
 They will also seek out their similarities, instinctively knowing that sharing common
bonds is important to maintaining friendships. They'll focus on favorite colors, foods,
or games, and delight in the fact that they are alike in many ways.
  Another common development as friendship capacity develops is a child's desire to
protect their friends. Further bonded by their common experience, their loyalty to the
friendship deepens.
Erik Erikson and Psychosocial Development
 Erik Erikson believed that people were constantly developing socially, from birth
throughout life.
 He further believed that successful mastery of each step was necessary before moving on
to the next, so if someone stalled out at a certain level, working through the rest would be
impacted in a negative way.
 According to Erikson, the socialization process consists of eight phases – the “eight
stages of man.” His eight stages of man were formulated, not through experimental work,
but through wide – ranging experience in psychotherapy, including extensive experience
with children and adolescents from low – as well as upper – and middle – social classes.
 Each stage is regarded by Erikson as a “psychosocial crisis,” which arises and demands
resolution before the next stage can be satisfactorily negotiated.
 These stages are conceived in an almost architectural sense: satisfactory learning and
resolution of each crisis is necessary if the child is to manage the next and subsequent
ones
 Satisfactorily, just as the foundation of a house is essential to the first floor, which in turn
must be structurally sound to support and the second story, and so on.
Erikson’s Eight Stages of Development
1. Learning Basic Trust Versus Basic Mistrust (Hope)
 Chronologically, this is the period of infancy through the first one or two years of life.
 The child, well – handled, nurtured, and loved, develops trust and security and a basic
optimism.
 Badly handled, he becomes insecure and mistrustful.

2. Learning Autonomy Versus Shame (Will)

 The second psychosocial crisis, Erikson believes, occurs during early childhood,
probably between about 18 months or 2 years and 3½ to 4 years of age.
 The “well – parented” child emerges from this stage sure of himself, elated with his
new found control, and proud rather than ashamed.
  Autonomy is not, however, entirely synonymous with assured self – possession,
initiative, and independence but, at least for children in the early part of this
psychosocial crisis, includes stormy self – will, tantrums, stubbornness, and
negativism.
 For example, one sees 2 year olds resolutely folding their arms to prevent their
mothers from holding their hands as they cross the street. Also, the sound of “NO”
rings through the house or the grocery store.
3. Learning Initiative Versus Guilt (Purpose)
 Erikson believes that this third psychosocial crisis occurs during what he calls the
“play age,” or the later pre-school years (from about 3½, in the United States culture,
entry into formal school).
 During this stage, the healthy developing child learns:
(a) to imagine, to broaden his skills through active play of all sorts, including fantasy
(b) to cooperate with others
(c) to lead as well as to follow. Immobilized by guilt, he is: (1) fearful (2) hangs on the
fringes of groups (3) continues to depend unduly on adults and
(d) is restricted both in the development of play skills and in imagination.
4. Industry Versus Inferiority (Competence)
 Erikson believes that the fourth psychosocial crisis is handled, for better or worse,
during what he calls the “school age,” presumably up to and possibly including some
of junior high school.
 Here the child learns to master the more formal skills of life: (1) relating with peers
according to rules (2) progressing from free play to play that may be elaborately
structured by rules and may demand formal teamwork, such as baseball and (3)
mastering social studies, reading, arithmetic. Homework is necessity, and the need for
self-discipline increases yearly.
 The child who, because of his successive and successful resolutions of earlier
psychosocial crisis, is trusting, autonomous, and full of initiative will learn easily
enough to be industrious.
 However, the mistrusting child will doubt the future. The shame – and guilt-filled
child will experience defeat and inferiority.
5. Learning Identity Versus Identity Diffusion (Fidelity)
  During the fifth psychosocial crisis (adolescence, from about 13 or 14 to about 20) the
child, now an adolescent, learns how to answer satisfactorily and happily the question
of “Who am I?” But even the best – adjusted of adolescents experiences some role
identity diffusion: most boys and probably most girls experiment with minor
delinquency; rebellion flourishes; self – doubts flood the youngster, and so on.
 Erikson believes that during successful early adolescence, mature time perspective is
developed; the young person acquires self-certainty as opposed to self-consciousness
and self-doubt.
 He comes to experiment with different – usually constructive – roles rather than
adopting a “negative identity” (such as delinquency). He actually anticipates
achievement, and achieves, rather than being “paralyzed” by feelings of inferiority or
by an inadequate time perspective. In later adolescence, clear sexual identity –
manhood or womanhood – is established.
The adolescent seeks leadership (someone to inspire him), and gradually develops a set of
ideals (socially congruent and desirable, in the case of the successful adolescent).
6. Learning Intimacy Versus Isolation (Love)
The successful young adult, for the first time, can experience true intimacy – the sort of
intimacy that makes possible good marriage or a genuine and enduring friendship.
7. Learning Generativity Versus Self-Absorption (Care)
In adulthood, the psychosocial crisis demands generativity, both in the sense of marriage and
parenthood, and in the sense of working productively and creatively.
8. Integrity Versus Despair (Wisdom)
If the other seven psychosocial crisis have been successfully resolved, the mature adult
develops the peak of adjustment; integrity. He trusts, he is independent and dares the new. He
works hard, has found a well – defined role in life, and has developed a self-concept with
which he is happy. He can be intimate without strain, guilt, regret, or lack of realism; and he
is proud of what he creates – his children, his work, or his hobbies. If one or more of the
earlier psychosocial crises have not been resolved, he may view himself and his life with
disgust and despair.
These eight stages of man, or the psychosocial crises, are plausible and insightful descriptions
of how personality develops but at present they are descriptions only.
We possess at best rudimentary and tentative knowledge of just what sort of environment will
result, for example, in traits of trust versus distrust, or clear personal identity versus diffusion.
Helping the child through the various stages and the positive learning that should accompany
them is a complex and difficult task, as any worried parent or teacher knows.
Search for the best ways of accomplishing this task accounts for much of the research in the
field of child development.
Socialization, then is a learning – teaching process that, when successful, results in the human
organism’s moving from its infant state of helpless but total egocentricity to its ideal adult
state of sensible conformity coupled with independent creativity.
Factors Affecting Social Development
There are various factors that affects Social Development
1. Home Environment
Home is the first socializing agency. The congenial home environment has a positive and
socializing effect on the child. Thus, the family influence plays a vital role in the process of
social development. A happy, contented and well-knit family helps in advancing social
adjustment of the individual members.
In the family, children become socialized through interactions with parents, siblings,
relatives, and neighbors; once in a school setting, they need new ways of acting, relating, and
socializing. Children who have had a strong attachment to a nurturing figure and see
themselves as separate from this nurturing figure are ready for a group situation.
Children who experience the security of loving parents and have strong attachments to their
parents are better able to reach out to relate with others.
According to attachment theory, children who enjoy a secure attachment relationship with
their parents and caregivers use this relationship as a support to venture out and explore their
environment (Maccoby, 1993). They reach out to others, return to the caregiver for support,
and venture out again, going further into the world of social relationships
As the child confidently wanders out to test the social waters, he enlarges his social world,
expands his social contacts, and is more likely to learn from experience in social interaction.
Parents who are social themselves serve as models for their children. Children may be able to
use the image of their parents interacting with others in their own attempts to make and be
friends with other children or to cooperate and share.
Socially competent parents may affect their children’s social skill development in another
way. Parents who are secure and competent offer children a model of security from which to
build their own social skills.
The nature of parent-child interactions is also related to a child’s development of social skills;
 Children who are raised in democratic families, where reasons are given along with the
rules, are more likely to be socially active and open-minded.
 ” These parents are more likely to have children who cooperate, share, and initiate social
activities.
On the other hand, parents who are more authoritarian, who demand obedient, conforming,
and dependent offspring, may have children who are never really comfortable exploring the
world for themselves. Often, these children fail to develop the ability to relate effectively
with others throughout their life.
2. Socio-Economic Status of the Family
The family members of high socio-economic status have the opportunity of moving about in
a higher and wider circle of society. They get frequent occasions to mix with a large number
of and different sorts of people. This naturally helps them in their socialization.
3. Love and Affection. Love and affection are the basic psychological needs of children. If
the child is treated with love and affection, he feels secure, and thus, develops self-
confidence. This gives him the necessary courage to enter into social relationships outside the
family. If the children get love and affection at home, they will naturally expect love and
affection from others also; this will develop in them a positive attitude toward life and other
people, which will help them in their social development.
4. Participation in Social Organizations
There are various types of social organizations. Participation in such organizations widens the
sphere of child's social contacts and increases his social understanding. He learns, and
imbibes the qualities of leadership, cooperation, and toleration. Self- Centeredness is replaced
by social consciousness which is increasingly broadened. This brings about social
development of the child.
5. School Programs
School is another potent agency for the social development of the child. In the school the
child gets an opportunity of mixing with the large number of students, and thus, getting
varied types of social experiences. In addition to these, school experiences in the form of
various types of school programs and activities, opportunities for healthy social
communication, guidance from teachers, determine to a large extent the social skills and
attitudes as well as the habits that the child learns. Schools also teach some of the basic social
attitudes and principles of good conduct. Thus the school programs help tremendously in the
children's social development.
6. Gender differences play a role as well.
7. Fathers’ negative attitudes
In one study, fathers’ negative attitudes toward child rearing predicted behavior problems in
children . Fathers’ warmth and control have also been related to better academic achievement
for children, and interactions with non-paternal men can result in more pro-social behaviors
toward peers
POINT TO NOTE
Children who have not fully developed strong attachments to another person may have a
more difficult time adjusting to the complexity of the social system of the school.
Implications of social development to learning
1. Children learn by imitation – teachers should be good role models
2. Children need a conducive environment for learning- free to participate. Love,
understanding
3. Children can learn through social interaction with others
4. They can also learn through play/ role play
5. Teachers and significant others should create good relationships with their learners
6. Teacher’s negative attitude towards a learner can affect learning
In the social development theory, Leo Vygotsky primarily explains that socialization affects
the learning process in an individual. It tries to explain consciousness or awareness as the
result of socialization. This means that when we talk to our peers or adults, we talk to them
for the sake of communication. After we interact with other people, we tend to internalize
what we uttered. Thus, learning takes place.