A4 - Social development across the life stages Flashcards
Introduction
When considering social development across the lifespan, it is important to be aware of the great difference between generations and the cultural variations in the way in which individuals will experience social relationships during the course of their lives.
Social development involves learning how to interact socially with other individuals in the family and society in general. Social development provides the opportunities and skills to enable people to develop relationships. Not all individuals will experience social relationships in the same way.
The stages of play in infancy/early childhood
Children learn and practice basic social skills through play. They develop a sense of self, learn to interact with other children, how to make friends and how to role-play. Piaget highlighted importance of play for learning and development.
Solo play
When infants play independently it is known as solo play. It starts in infancy and is common at this lifestage because they have limited social, cognitive, and physical skills. Solo play provide infants with a variety of learning opportunities, in particular the chance to explore the environment at their own pace. It can help infants to focus their attention, become self-reliant, learn by making mistakes and increase their self-esteem.
Parallel play
Between the ages of two and three, infants move from solo play to playing alongside other children. They have not yet developed for sharing and turn-taking skills required for group or cooperative play. Although infants are in gauged in similar activities (such as water or sand play), there will be little interaction as each infant will be in grossed in their own independent activity, which is not influenced or shared with others. However, although inference may appear not to interact with other infants and all the children, they do show an interest in what other children are doing and still like to be in the presence of adults and other children.
Co-operative play
Between the ages of three and eight, children begin to widen their social network group and form relationships with their peers and other adults. By the age of three, the child has become more cooperative in their play, helped by their language development. For example, moving away from having temper temperature and if they cannot get their own way, playing together with other children, sharing toys and taking turns and games. By the age of seven, most children have established a number of important friendships and others may refer to one friend as their ‘best friend’.
Play is essential for communication skills, negotiating roles and beginning to appreciate the feelings of other children. By responding to their peers’ feelings, children learn to be more cooperative in their play.
What are the ages and stages of play?
Solo play (0-1 year): Looks are adults closely, puts things into mouth in touch as things with hands. Please align with toys. Gradually begins to play simple games, for example peekaboo and begins to explore toys alone.
Solo play (12-18 months): Begins to play and talk alone, repeat actions and starts to play with adults, notices other children.
Parallel play (18 months-2 years): Begins to enjoy repetitive actions, such as putting objects into and taking them out of boxes. Begins to copy other children and adults. Enjoys playing with adults as well as all alone. Learns to complete tasks through trial and error.
Associative play (3-4 years): Begins to play co-operatively with other children and starts to show reasoning skills by asking questions (e.g. ‘why’ and ‘how’). They join in pretend and fantasy games negotiating and taking on roles.
Co-operative play (4-6 years): Begins to use simple rules and games. Please co-operatively towards a shared goal and takes turns when playing tabletop games with other children.
Co-operative play (6-8): begins to enjoy playing in small groups, making up own games and roles. The joys understanding of using Rose, it does not usually cope well with the losing. Play
The importance of friendships/friendship groups
Social benefits of friendship
There are many different social benefits associated with friendship groups. On a practical level, friends can help and individual cope with traumatic life events (e.g. job loss, serious illness, bereave meant for relationship breakdown). Close friendships can help support an individual to maintain a healthy lifestyle (e.g. by encouragement to avoid excessive drinking, or junk food and to take regular exercise). Emotional level, friendship groups can help people avoid loneliness, provide a sense of belonging, the sense of self-worth and self-confidence. This can lead to a reduction of stress and depression and a boost and happiness. As people get older, friendships may take a back seat due to changing interests or circumstances. Other priorities begin to emerge (e.g. career/home commitments, caring for children/vulnerable parents) and may lead to friendship groups growing apart.
Effects of peer pressure on social development
Between the ages of 9-18, young people into puberty and adolescents, and there is a close link between their social and emotional development. During adolescence, young people become more independent, socialising outside the family and gaining more freedom. Big groups playing important part in the stage of social development and begin to have a great influence on values, views and opinions. Peer pressure can be challenging for teenagers and their families, for example encouraging risky behaviour such as drinking alcohol, taking drugs and engaging in unprotected sexual activities.
Developing relationships with others
Friendship between young children is very different from friendship between older children, adolescents or adults. Young children tend to form relationships based on play. They quickly fall out with each other and just as quickly make up. Relationships for older children, adolescents and adults are more complex and may involve much more than friendship. This may require new skills. Just as children grow and develop in an Ob server full sequence, the ability to develop relationships also tends to follow a pattern. As children mature and start to think beyond their own needs and are able to see the world from other peoples viewpoints, they become able to develop meaningful relationships.
Relationships with others may be informal or formal:
Informal relationships develop within families and significant people in individuals’ lives. They start in infancy and development of strong bonds as they are built on trust and understanding. Informal relationships promote positive self-concept the purpose of adolescents and adults for developing intimate relationships that show mutual respect.
Form relationships develop in different context between people who are not related or friends, for instance between colleagues/between teacher and pupil. Formal relationships do not involve emotional attachments but are important to social development. They demand different skills, confidence and self-esteem. Children who have positive relationships with family and others are likely to be successful in developing affective form relationships.
The development of social relationships:
Infancy (0-2): Interacting with carers
Infants appear to have an inbuilt tendency to interact with carers. By 2 months, they may start to smile at your faces. At 3 months, they will respond when adults talk. At 5 months, infants can distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar people. Infants make that first relationships as they form an emotional attachment to carers. In the later stages of infancy, infants will play alongside other children (parallel play).
Childhood (3-8): First social learning
Young children are emotionally attached and dependent on the adults that care for them. Children begin to learn social roles and behaviour within their family context (1st or primary socialisation). A family environment might provide a ‘safe base’ from which to explore social relationships with other children through play. Children will learn to cooperate with other children (cooperative play). As children grow older they become increasingly independent and begin to form friendships based on a sense of mutual trust. Friendships become increasingly important as children grow towards adolescence. Children may begin to form social networks or ‘circles’ of friends who like and who agree with each other.
Adolescence (9-18): Secondary social learning
During adolescence a person sense of self-worth maybe more influenced by their peers standby their family. I don’t essence copy the styles of dress, beliefs, cultural values and behaviours of their own network of friends. Historically, adolescents was seen as a time of ‘storm and stress’. Adolescent have to cope with the development of their own sexuality (the impact of sex hormones at puberty) and the social transition to full independence from the family. Recent research suggests that many adolescence experience a smooth transition to adult roles without serious conflict with parents.
Adulthood (19-65): Maturity
During early adult heard, friendship networks continue to be very important. For most people, early adult heard is dominated by forming intimate partnerships and by the need to find employment/establish a career. For many people, marriage and parenthood represent major social developments in their life. In middle adult heard individuals experience time pressures that may limit their social activity. Mature adults may have to split their time between work, caring for parents, other family commitments and wider social activities. Some mature adults report reduction in the amount of social activity due to these pressures.
Older adulthood (65+): Following retirement, older adults have more free time to develop friendships through taking up new hobbies, pastimes and travel. Others may choose to increase their involvement with close friends and family rather than extend the network of social contacts.
The development of independence through the life stages
Infancy/early childhood
In infancy, young children are totally dependent on others for their care but, towards the end of this life stage, they begin to assert their need to become independent and attempt to do more for themselves. This comes with increased skills and abilities in dressing and feeding themselves. In early childhood, although still very dependent on parents and carers, they are wiping their experience – starting school and joining clubs/activities outside of home. Children gradually become less reliant on close family and start to make their own decisions. Initially, these may be limited to activities, food choices or which clothes to wear but, by the time they reach the end of this lifestage, they will have developed a clear likes and dislikes.
Peer influence in adolescence
In adolescence, young people begin to question their sense of identity, and who they are, and begin to see themselves as separate and independent from their family. Young people may begin to question their families values and become influenced by peer group norms and values. Her influence can lead a young person to question choices and decisions that have been made on their behalf. Young people can learn from real-life experiences about the consequences of making good or poor choices.
Starting employment
Between the ages 16-18, many young people begin to make important decisions about their career options. Young people need to be realistic and empowered to make informed choices about their future career prospects. Starting appointment is on important transition of his effectively the first left into an adult world. Porton to adapt from the new rules and routines of the school/college/university to the policies and procedures of the workplace. The financial independence associated with starting employment is also step towards full independence. Managing finances - from reading a wage slip, opening a bank account to developing budgeting skills - are all important aspects of becoming independent.
Leaving home
There is a clear relationship between leaving home, independence and adulthood. Independence means different things to different people but moving out of the family home is an important step in the process. At some stage in their early 20s, many young people decide to leave the family home. Although many now stay at home longer, because they are studying, unable to work or cannot afford to live independently. Leaving the parental home represents a major transitional event, which is more complex than simply changing address. It could mean making certain sacrifices such as a lower standard of living. Well this allows for a new level of independence and self-reliance, juggling household chores with work and managing household bills require young adults to develop a new set of skills.
Starting a family
The new status and responsibilities associated with starting a family may be an important aspect of developing independence. Developing parental skills and becoming part of a new family unit can provide a sense of identity and a feeling of achievement. Becoming a parent is a major life change and the transition requires lifestyle changes and sometimes financial difficulties.
Must put the needs of the new baby before their own, which can involve making sacrifices. For instance, apart my tooth to put their career on hold/change your working patterns and this can impact on financial and emotional independence. Although family members may be able to offer support, the ultimate responsibility is with the new parents. Parenting can be hard work, making demands on both time and energy.
Middle adulthood
By this life stage, people often have fewer family responsibilities and they can more easily pursue their hobbies and interests. It is in middle adulthood when individuals are more likely to reach the peak of their career and they may have more disposable income that gives them more independence, choice and freedom. It is during this life stage that individuals may begin to establish different social networks and be able to travel more. However, this is not true for everyone in this age group. Changes to the pension system may result in individuals working longer or taking on part-time work with retired. When retired, many parents of this lifestage actors carers for the grandchildren or provide support for elderly parents. This could mean restrictions to an independent lifestyle.
Older adulthood
During the 21st-century it has become apparent that Britain is an ageing society. According to a report by age UK, the number of centenarians living in the UK has risen by 73% in the last decade. Many people remain active in their 80s and 90s. For this reason, later adulthood is best viewed in 2 stages. After retirement between the ages of 65-75, many older people remain active with a busy social life, enjoying freedom from the career. Many older people take advantage of free bus passes and concessionary entrance costs. This means that independence can be maintained in later life. The internet and social media makes it easier to explore new interests in relationships. Many old people develop IT skills and make good use of social media that helps and keep in touch. Although many people remain socially active, which is positive for all aspects of development, some old people begin to disengage from society, especially if spouses and friends have died. This can be a lonely and vulnerable state which means they lose much of their independence and have to rely on others for their care.
