Chapter 3 Section 3

 Children learn how to behave in their society from their parents, from other people around them, and from their own experiences.  The process of learning the rules of behavior in a culture is called socialization.

Parenting Styles  The parent-child relationship influences the way children seek independence and resolve conflicts.  In authoritarian families, parents are the bosses. They set the rules and expect children to follow them without question.

Parenting Styles  In democratic or authoritative families, children participate in the decisions that affect their lives. Parents listen to the children’s reasons for wanting to do something. The parents, however, still have the right to say no.

Parenting Styles  In permissive or laissez-faire families, children have the final say. Parents may try to guide the children. They often, however, give in to the children’s wishes. They may even give up their parenting responsibilities. They may set no rules and simply ignore the children.

Parenting Styles  Studies show that children who grow up in democratic/authoritative families are more confident than are other young people. This results from two behaviors of the parents.  The parents establish limits on the child and respond to the child with warmth and support. Children of democratic families are also likely to want to make their own decisions.

Child Abuse  Child abuse includes physical or mental injury, sexual abuse, neglect, or mistreatment of children by adult caregivers. Many abusive parents were themselves mistreated as children. Also, overburdened and stressed parents are more likely to abuse their children.

Child Abuse  Parent education for abusive parents helps them to learn better ways to deal with their children. Also, community resources and support systems can help reduce abuse.  Abuse can rob children of their childhood. It can cause them to lose trust and feel guilty.  These feelings can lead to emotional problems, such as depression and low self-esteem. Every state and most counties offer protective services to children.

Social Development  Socialization is the process of learning the rules of behavior in the culture where you live. To live with other people, children must learn what behavior is acceptable and unacceptable. One part of socialization is learning when to apply the rules and when to bend them. A second part is gaining an identity.

Social Development  As children learn the society’s values, they gain an identity as an individual member of a society, a member of different social categories, and a member of a family. A third part of socialization is learning to live with other people and with yourself.

Social Development  Children must learn that other people have rights and that they have limitations. For example, a child must learn that it is not acceptable to take another child’s toy. Or, a child may discover that she cannot hit a baseball on the first try.  Sigmund Freud believed that all children are born with powerful sexual and aggressive urges. In learning to control these impulses, children gain a sense of right and wrong.

Social Development  Erik Erikson believed that a child’s need for social approval is just as important as sexual urges. Unlike Freud, he saw development as a lifelong, interactive process among people.  How we develop depends on how other people respond to our efforts.

Social Development  For example, a 1-year-old boy is delighted with his new ability to walk. Just learning this new skill gives him self-esteem.  As he walks around exploring, however, he gets into things. If the adults around him praise his efforts, he will develop a sense of independence. If they punish him for being a nuisance, he may feel his desire for independence is bad.

Social Development  Freud and Erikson stress the emotional part of social development. Other psychologists believe social development is simply a matter of conditioning and imitation. Children receive rewards for doing what others do. They begin to copy older children and adults to gain more rewards.

Social Development  Another theory is the cognitive- developmental approach. Cognitive means thinking. These psychologists believe that social development is the result of the child trying to make sense out of his experiences with the world around him. For example, when children play games, they make up rules.  Much of their play involves role taking. They try on adult roles such as mother or teacher. This allows them to experience different points of view.

Social Development  Another theory is the cognitive- developmental approach. Cognitive means thinking.  These psychologists believe that social development is the result of the child trying to make sense out of his experiences with the world around him.

Social Development  For example, when children play games, they make up rules.  Much of their play involves role taking. They try on adult roles such as mother or teacher. This allows them to experience different points of view.

Social Development  Lawrence Kohlberg identified six stages of moral development.  In Stage 1, children are egocentric and consider no other points of view.  In Stage 2, they evaluate acts in terms of consequences. They do not consider whether actions are right or wrong.

Social Development  In Stage 3, children want social approval so they apply other people’s rules rigidly.  In Stage 4, children see laws as moral rules to be obeyed.

Social Development  In Stage 5, people are concerned with whether a law is fair and just.  Stage 6 involves accepting ethical principles as more important than any written law