SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Introduction
• We are social beings that depend on others for
our needs.
• Social development is a process through which
we acquire the ability to behave in accordance
with social expectations, play, approved social
roles, develop appropriate social attitudes and
acquire a sense of self-identity.
.Its the process of to interact with others and to
express oneself to others
 THEORIES OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
The psychoanalytic theory
• According to this theory, social development is
influenced by the development of sex typed
behaviors.
• These sex typed behaviors are acquired when
children learn to identify with the same sex
parent after resolving the Oedipus and Electra
complexes
The social learning theory
• Social learning theory advocates learning
within a social context.
• It began with the realization that touch,
warmth, reassurance and example of other
similar beings is important in learning.
• Children develop socially through observation
and imitation of others in the immediate
environment.
• Those observed may be parents, siblings,
teachers and peers.
• In a learning environment, appropriate
imitation is reinforced, while inappropriate
behaviors are punished to reduce the chances
of being repeated.
• For example, boys are reinforced for
aggression while girls are reinforced for
submission and dependence.
 Cognitive theory
• This theory emphasizes the role played by
mental processes in understanding ones sex
and gender.
• Gender identity begins by realizing that one is
a boy or girl by noting the anatomical
differences between boys and girls.
• The child then labels themselves as male or
female and begins to act accordingly. If this
does not happen, one may experience gender
identity problems such as transsexuals.
The process of social development
Birth to 6 months
• The neonate is asocial that is insensitive to
other people. It is self-centered and this is
because it has little communication.
• 6 to 20 months, the child begins to appreciate
what other people do for them such as
feeding, care and warmth.
• From 2 to 5 years, the child is gradually
separated from the mother and begins to
interact with other children and siblings.
• From 6 to 11 years, the child spend more time
with peers in school.
• There are both formal and informal
interactions.
• The associations are basically with the same
sex (homosocial).
• 12 years onwards is the onset of adolescence.
The peer group becomes more important and
they begin to associate with members of the
opposite sex.
 Agents of socialization
The family
Parents train their children in the following areas:
• eating
• toilet training
• sex modesty
• dressing and tidiness
• respect for adults and those in authority
• cultural inhibitions.
• Children are trained through rewards and
punishments and by imitation of role models.
 The school
• Learn how to relate with others
• Imparts knowledge and skills
• Proper attitudes to help fit in the society.
1. Reinforces the values of the society e.g.
cleanliness,
2. co-operation,
3. respect
 Peer groups
• Children learn meaning of role, status and
leadership from peers.
• The peer group also influences;
➢fashions,
➢habits
➢trends.
• provides opportunity to practice leadership skills,
which may enhance a child’s self-esteem
necessary for a healthy personality development.
• It teaches the child a variety of social skills such
as cooperation and sharing.
• It provides an emotional outlet
• social emotional support when one is
experiencing problems.
• It provides opportunity for one to express
himself among equals without fear of
judgment or reprimands.
 Social organizations
These include religious organizations, clubs,
societies etc.

Mass media
• Includes electronic and print media.
• Their role is to educate, influence and inform.
• The mass media can enhance pro-social
behavior, language and cognitive development.
• It can also introduce anti social behavior such as
aggression, gender and racial stereotypes.
The role of play in social development
• In playing, children learn to combine freedom
with personally imposed rules in activities that
have no goal outside of the activity itself.
• Play involves freewheeling fantasy, while
games have externally imposed rules, they are
usually competitive and have winners and
losers.
• Young children engage in play, older children
engage in games. Play socializes and educates
youngsters.
 Styles of play
1. Non-social play (2-3 years)
It includes
▪ Unoccupied play - time is spent observing
some event or object
▪ Onlooker play - involves watching other
children play and not joining in except to ask a
question or suggestion
• Solitary independent play - involves playing
with oneself without interacting with others
• Parallel play - playing by oneself but by other
children who are also playing.
2. Social play (4-5 years)
Include
• Associative play - playing with others in a
common activity, sharing play materials
and influence each other’s play activity
• Co-operative play - more organized and
have a common goal and common rules.
social play is declining due to;
➢Influence of the television
➢Solitary and educational toys
➢Growing use of computers by the
children
➢Families with fewer siblings
➢Lack of space etc.
Types of play
There are four types of play;
1. Functional play
• Most common in the 1ST and 3rd years and
most common in boys than girls.
• It involves simple repetitive muscular
activities(with or without objects) For example
pulling at toys.
 2. Constructive play
• Begins at the age of 2 years.
• The majority common between the age of 4
and 6 years.
• It involves manipulation of object to build or
create something. For example using blocks,
clay etc. girls engage in more constructive play
than boys.
• Constructive play aids in problem solving by
increasing flexibility and consolidating
learning, encouraging elaboration and
enhancing creativity.
3. Dramatic play (pretend or fantasy) involves either
using imaginary situations or characters.
• It may be simple or elaborate. For example playing
careers using puppets or costumes.
• Dramatic play allows learning through
➢ role-play,
➢ permits children to rehearse problems in a no
failure situation,
➢ lets children feel more powerful and competent by
taking on the roles of parents, workers and even
super heroes.
• Pre- school children can use fantasy play to handle
feelings of helplessness, frustration and anger.
4. Games. (older children).
• Includes activities involving externally imposed
rules, structure and a goal.
• For example playing football which replace
dramatic play and is common in ages 6-12
years.
• Gives practice in following complex rules,
cooperating in large and small groups, dealing
with winning or losing.
 Importance of play
1. The physical activity of play helps young
children to develop and improve their mental
skills
2. Imaginary and fantasy play is a step towards
the development of abstract thinking.
3. Play helps children to preserve and build
attention skills
4. Play is important in social emotional
development
• Children use play to understand, express,
share and control emotional experiences.
• Allow children to get rid of aggression and
learn how to control aggressive urges.
• Through play children form their first
friendships and build social skills.
• Provide a fairly safe environment in which
children can compare their own behaviors and
skills with those of other children.
5. Helps in muscular coordination and motor
skills are refined
6. Increases self-confidence
7. Develops cognitive, social and emotional
skills for example problem solving, language
competence and interaction.
8. Shows child’s inner needs and desires.
9. Helps children to better understands
themselves, others and events.
[Link] how to formulate, negotiate, argue
and follow rules.
[Link] creativity, imagination and
tolerance.
[Link] children to acquire new information
and understanding.
[Link] how to listen to other’s views.
[Link] to communicate ideas and acquire
more vocabularies.
[Link] conflict- endurance, sympathy, and
self-control, give and receive.
[Link] impulsivity, low aggression, sharing,
cooperation, independence, social maturity.
 Factors influencing social
development
The family
• Children who experience the security of loving
parents and have strong attachment to their
parents are better able to reach out to relate with
others
• Such children reach out to others, return to their
parents for support and venture out again, going
out to the world of social relationships.
• As the child confidently wonders out to the world,
he enlarges his social world, expand his social
contact and this is very likely to learn from
experience in social interaction.
• Parents who are social themselves serve
as models for their children.
• The nature of parent- child interactions is
also related to a child’s development of
social skills.
• Children born in democratic families are
more likely to be socially active and open
minded. Where as those born in
authoritarian families fail to develop the
ability to relate effectively with others
throughout their life.
Role of culture
• The characteristics of culture also affect
children developing social skills.
• Children who live in violent or unsafe
communities may be fearful and withdrawn
when in the classroom.
• Those exposed to domestic abuse do not feel
safe and secure
• Their insecurity will interfere with their total
development especially social development.
The school
The teacher become an agent of socialization
The teacher sets the rules, limits and standards for
behavior
In school ,children must learn to share materials, and
attention of the teacher, thus they learn to
cooperate, see others view points and work together
for the common welfare.
In the school, the focus on social skills are three fold
1. development of self concept
2. Pro-social skills-being able to cooperate and share
with others
3. Making and keeping friends- being accepted by
the peers
Birth Order
Alfred Adler, theorized on the personality
influences attributed to birth order. These
characteristics would be developed within, and
as the result of the family environment rather
than as an inborn temperament.
❑First born:
Perfectionistic
Reliable
Well-organized
Hard driving
Critical
Natural Leader
❑Middle child:
Mediator
Avoids conflict
Independent
Diplomatic
Loyal
Has many friends
❑Last Born (The Baby!)
Charming
Attention-seeker
Affectionate
People person
Manipulative
Determined/stubborn
❑The only child
• May be slightly less affiliative than their peers,
belonging to fewer organizations,
• Having fewer friends,
• Leading a less intense social life.
• Only-children and first-born children
demonstrate a less cooperative interactive style
than do other children
However,
• Have a comparable number of close friends,
• Assume leadership positions
• Feel satisfied and happy with their lives
• Can’t bear to fail.
Heredity
Temperament is determined by our genes or pre-
natal conditions.
Temperament is a person's unique responses to
the people, events, and conditions in our world.
• Everyone, at every age, level of intelligence, or
level of ability — has a natural tendency to
respond to things, express themselves, and use
their abilities in varying degrees.
• We may be able to alter how we display our
temperament to others (personality), but we
cannot change our actual temperament.
 • Temperament can be reflected in several ways;

Rhythmicity: people vary in the regularity,