Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Peers, Schools, and Society Chapter 15

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2 Chapter Outline Peers Schools Society

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 3 Peers People of approximately the same age and position within a social group Offer emotional support Partners for practicing social skills Socialize one another Contribute to sense of identity Help each other make sense of their lives

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 4 Peer Acceptance Researchers ask for peer nominations to classify children Popular well-liked by peers Rejected identified as not liked Neglected few intense feelings of like or dislike by peer group Controversial strongly liked by some, strongly disliked by others Average liked by some, disliked by others

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 5 Friendships Voluntary Powered by shared routines Reciprocal Ongoing, dependable mutual support

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 6 Characteristics of Friendships Infancy imitation, simple interaction, shared emotion Early childhood conversation, social and pretend play Middle childhood loyalty, stability Early adolescence self-disclosure, bouts of possessiveness Late adolescence selectivity, emotional dependence

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 7 Fostering Relationships Help young children ease into social groups Facilitate friendly interactions among children Be aware of family factors Minimize barriers to social interaction Encourage empathy for children with special needs Provide tailored support to rejected children help change their reputation Encourage respect for others Encourage honesty and diplomacy during conflicts Serve as backup support when necessary

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 8 Social Groups Develop a common culture Teach & model group norms Have a sense of unity Have clear dominance hierarchies Have influence over certain areas of life style more than values, career choices

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 9 Social Groups Cliques moderately stable, rigid friendship groups of 3 or more emerge in early adolescence Subcultures defined by values, beliefs, behaviors resist mainstream culture Gangs characterized by initiation rites, distinctive colors or symbols, feuds with rivals likely to encourage aggressive & delinquent behaviors may encourage prosocial behaviors

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 10 Romance & Sexuality Early & middle childhood awareness of romantic relationships practicing courtship behaviors Adolescence dating & romantic relationships sexual intimacy/eroticism sexual orientation is not voluntary decision nature and nurture may both be factors

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 11 Addressing Adolescents’ Sexuality Remember how you felt Expect diversity Make information available Create a supportive environment Describe sexual harassment Make appropriate referrals

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 12 Schools as Communities Supportive classroom climate Engaging instruction that fosters cooperative behavior community of learners School traditions

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 13 Socialization in School Explain school values uncover the hidden curriculum tell children about expected behavior offer extra help to students who need it Communicate high expectations watch for biases learn about students’ backgrounds and home lives collaborate with colleagues

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 14 Transitions to New Schools Elementary school new people (teachers, peers) new structure, rules, traditions Secondary school junior high/middle school high school size and structure less cohesion, more competition new grading policies

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 15 Society An enduring group of people, socially and economically organized into collective institutions & activities Societal influences on children direct services media interactive technologies

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 16 Services for Children & Adolescents Child care risk of behavior problems when quality is low structural and process measures amount of time is high Early intervention programs education + child/family support Project Head Start, Carolina Abecedarian Project greatest benefits when longer and more intensive After-school & extracurricular activities

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 17 Television & Interactive Technologies Children remember & may imitate content tv, computers, video games — positive and negative impacts Suggestions for educators encourage parents to regulate television viewing teach critical viewing skills educate children about media violence use movies and computer programs in curriculum increase familiarity, comfort with computers teach critical use of the Internet advise parents about Internet dangers discourage use of technologies for aggressive purposes encourage a wide range of media

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 18 Take-Home Messages Peers create contexts for practicing social skills, making sense of social experiences, & shaping habits and ideas. Friendships provide emotional support, foster motivation to resolve conflicts in mutually satisfying ways. Appreciation of romance begins in adolescence. Some adolescents experiment with sexual intimacy with limited information about the potential risks; others wrestle with sexual feelings for same- gender peers. Schools are powerful contexts of development, complex social environments that communicate to youngsters how welcome they are and how likely they are to succeed. Society plays an important role through its provision of services. Television, computers, & other media have benefits and risks.