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1. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 3
Social Contexts and
Socioemotional Development

2. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Learning Goals
1. Describe two contemporary perspectives on
socioemotional development: Bronfenbrenner’s
ecological theory and Erikson’s life-span
development theory.
2. Discuss how the social contexts of families,
peers, and schools are linked with
socioemotional development.
3. Explain these aspects of children’s
socioemotional development: self-esteem,
identity, moral development, and coping with
stress.

3. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Social Contexts and
Socioemotional Development
Contemporary
Theories
Erikson’s
Life-Span
Development Theory
Bronfenbrenner’s
Ecological
Theory

4. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological
Theory
Bronfenbrenner’s
theory focuses on
the social contexts
in which people live
and the people
who influence their
development.

5. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological
Theory cont’d
Microsystem: Direct interactions
with parents, teachers, peers, and
others.
Mesosystem: Linkages between
microsystems such as family and
school, and relationships between
students and peers.
Exosystem: Experiences in
settings in which a child does not
have an active role influence the
child’s experiences.

6. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological
Theory cont’d
Macrosystem: The broader
culture in which students and
teachers live.
Chronosystem: The
sociohistorical conditions of a
student’s development.

7. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Sid’s father left his family years ago and provides no support for
them. Sid and his three siblings live with their mother in a public
housing project for low-income families. They receive public
assistance in the form of reduced rent, money to live on, and
participation in a food program. Sid and his siblings receive free
school lunches, and do not have to pay the standard book rental
fee. In addition, they receive free medical care when ill or
injured, but Sid’s mother considers the care they receive to be
substandard. Recently, she contacted legal aid about obtaining
child support from her children’s father
Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory
Theory into Practice
Q.1: What aspects of Sid’s microsystem are discussed in
the example? Explain.
Q.2: What aspects of Sid’s exosystem are discussed in
the example? Explain.

8. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Sid’s father left them years ago and provides no support for the
family. Sid and his three siblings live with their mother in a public
housing project for low-income families. They receive public
assistance in the form of reduced rent, money to live on, and
participate in a food program. Sid and his siblings receive free
school lunches, and do not have to pay the standard book rental
fee. In addition, they receive free medical care when ill or
injured, but Sid’s mother considers the care they receive to be
substandard. Recently, she contacted legal aid about obtaining
child support from her children’s father.
Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory
Theory into Practice
Q.3: How is the mesosystem currently operating for
Sid? Explain.

9. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Bronfenbrenner’s Theory in the
Classroom
 Think about children
embedded in several
environmental systems
and influences
 Attend to connections
between school and
families
 Recognize the
importance of
community, culture, and
socioeconomic status

10. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Erikson’s Life-Span Development
Theory
 Development
proceeds in stages
 Each stage is
characterized by a
psychosocial
challenge or crisis
 Stages reflect the
motivation of the
individual

11. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Erik Erikson’s Eight Stages of Human
Development
1 - Trust vs. mistrust
2 - Autonomy vs. shame and doubt
3 - Initiative vs. guilt
4 - Industry vs. inferiority
5 - Identity vs. identity confusion
6 - Intimacy vs. isolation
7 - Generativity vs. stagnation
8 - Integrity vs. despair

12. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Erikson’s Human Development
Stages
1 - Trust vs. Mistrust
0–1 years
2 - Autonomy vs.
Shame and Doubt
1–3 years
3 - Initiative vs. Guilt
3–5 years
Developed through
consistent love and
support
Independence fostered
by support and
encouragement
Developed by exploring
and accepting challenges

13. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Erikson’s Human Development
Stages
4 - Industry vs.
Inferiority
6 years–puberty
5 - Identity vs. Role
Confusion
Adolescence
6 - Intimacy vs.
Isolation
Early adult years
Mastery comes from
success and recognition
Exploration of different
paths to attain a healthy
identity
Form positive, close
relationships with others

14. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Erikson’s Human Development
Stages
7 - Generativity vs.
Stagnation
Middle Adulthood
8 - Integrity vs. Despair
Late Adulthood
Transmitting
something positive to
the next generation
Life review and
retrospective
evaluation of one’s
past

15. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Strategies for Erikson’s Stages of
Development
Initiative
 Encourage social play
 Have children assume responsibility
 Structure assignments for success
Industry
 Nourish motivation for mastery
 Be tolerant of honest mistakes
Identity
 Recognize that identity is multidimensional
 Encourage independent thinking
 Stimulate students to examine different
perspectives

16. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Social Contexts and
Socioemotional Development
Social Contexts
of Development
Families Peers Schools

17. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Baumrind’s Parenting Styles
Authoritarian
Parents are restrictive and
punitive. Children tend to
be socially incompetent,
anxious, and exhibit poor
communication skills.
Indulgent
Parents are highly
involved but set few
restrictions. Children have
poor self-control.
Neglectful
Parents are uninvolved.
Children have poor self-
control, don’t handle
independence well, and low
achievement motivation.
Authoritative
Parents are nurturing and
supportive, yet set limits.
Children are self-reliant, get
along with peers, and have
high self-esteem.

18. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
The Changing Family
Working parents
 Nature of parents’ work matters
Children in divorced families
 The quality of parental relationships, timing of
divorce, use of support systems, type of custody,
SES, and quality schooling all affect children.
 Elementary school children did best when the
parent and the school environment were
authoritative.
Children in stepfamilies
 Show more adjustment problems than children in
intact families, especially during adolescence

19. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Ethnic and Socioeconomic Variations
in Families
Minority students
 Families tend to be larger; depend more
on the extended family for support
 Single parents are more common
 Less educated; lower income
Low-income parents
 Tend to value external characteristics
such as obedience and neatness
 See education as the teachers’ job

20. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Ethnic and Socioeconomic Variations
in Families
Middle-class families
 Often place high value on internal
characteristics such as self-control
and delayed gratification
 See education as a mutual responsibility

21. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
School-Family Linkages
Communicate
effectively with families
about school programs
and their child’s
progress
Involve families with
their children in
learning activities at
home
Encourage parents
to be volunteers
Provide assistance
to families
Coordinate community
collaboration
Include
families as
participants
in school
decisions

22. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Peer Statuses
Neglected
Infrequently
“best
friend”;
not disliked
by peers
Rejected
Seldom
“best
friend”;
often actively
disliked by
peers
Popular
Frequently
nominated as
best friend;
rarely disliked
by peers

23. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Peer Statuses
Controversial
Frequently
“best friend”;
often disliked
by peers
Average
Receive both
positive and
negative peer
nominations

24. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Friendships
Quality of
Friendships
Affect
Outcomes
Reflect: What is a friend?

25. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Early Childhood and
Elementary School
 Developmentally appropriate practices
 Early Childhood Approaches
 Reggio Emilia
 Montessori
 Academic versus child-centered
 Transition to elementary schools

26. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Schools for Adolescents
 Transition to Middle or Junior HS
 Stressful due to developmental changes
 Top-dog phenomenon
 Academic challenge
 Carnegie Corporation 1989
Recommendations
 Improving America’s High Schools
 High expectations for all students
 Improve drop-out rates

27. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Social Contexts and
Socioemotional Development
Socioemotional
Development
The Self
Moral
Development
Coping with
Stress

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Self-Concept and Self-Esteem
Self-esteem is the affective or emotional
reaction to one’s self-concept.
Self-concept is a cognitive appraisal of our social,
physical, and academic competence.
CognitiveAcademic Social Physical

29. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Improving Children’s Self-Esteem
 Identify causes of low self-esteem and areas
of competence important to the self
 Provide emotional support and social
approval
 Help children achieve
 Develop coping skills

30. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Marcia’s Four Statuses of Identity

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Ethnic Identity …
“is an enduring aspect of the self that includes a sense
of membership in an ethnic group, along with the
attitudes and feeling related to that membership”
(Phinney, 2006) (as cited in Santrock, 2009).
Positive ethnic identity
 Higher school engagement
 Lower aggression
 Navajo adolescents: higher self-esteem, school
connectedness, and social functioning

32. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Kohlberg’s Levels of Moral
Development
 Preconventional
 Conventional
 Postconventional
Moral reasoning is
controlled by external
rewards and punishments.
Internal standards are
imposed by others.
Morality is internal, not
based on external
standards.

33. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Sam starts to get out of his seat to sharpen his
pencil without permission. He stops because he
realizes that if he does, others might also do so and
this could result in disorder in the classroom.
Because of this, he understands that it is his duty to
follow the rules.
Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral
Development Theory into Practice
Q: At which of Kohlberg’s stages of moral development is
Sam functioning?

34. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Sam starts to get out of his seat to sharpen his
pencil without permission. He stops because he
realizes that if he does, he will be punished.
Q: At which of Kohlberg’s stages of moral development
is Sam functioning? Explain.
Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral
Development Theory into Practice

35. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Sam starts to get out of his seat to sharpen his pencil
without permission. He stops because he realizes
that if he does, it will displease his teacher.
Q: At which of Kohlberg’s stages of moral development
is Sam functioning? Explain.
Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral
Development Theory into Practice

36. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Care vs. Justice Perspective
Justice perspective
focuses on rights of
individuals
Care perspective
emphasizes relationships
and concern for others

37. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Reflection & Observation
Reflection:
 Recall a cheating incident. What
factors influenced the decision to
cheat?

38. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Enter the Debate
Should teachers teach students values/morality?
YES NO

39. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Moral Education
1. Hidden Curriculum
School personnel serve as models of ethical
behavior.
Classroom rules and peer relationships transmit
positive attitudes to students.
2. Character Education
Schools take a direct approach to teaching moral
literacy and design an environment that rewards
proper behavior.

40. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Moral Education
3. Values Clarification
Schools design programs that allow students to
clarify their own values and understand the values of
others.
4. Cognitive Moral Education
Schools base programs on the belief that students
should learn to value things like democracy and
justice as moral reasoning develops.

41. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Moral Education
5. Service Learning
Schools encourage students to be involved in the
community by becoming a tutor, helping the elderly,
volunteering in hospitals or day care, etc.
6. Integrative Approach
Schools encourage students to be reflective moral
thinkers and committed to justice, and develop
children’s moral character.

42. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Crack the Case
The Case of the Fight
1. What are the issues in this case?
2. At what stage of moral development would
you expect these boys to be, based on the
information you have? What predictions can
you make regarding each boy’s sense of self
and emotional development?
3. What can you say about the boys’ mothers?

43. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
4. What do you think about the punishment
that Luke received? How would you have
handled this situation?
5. What impact do you think this will have
on the boys’ future relationship? What
impact will it have on their attitudes
toward school?
Crack the Case
The Case of the Fight

44. © 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Strategies for Coping with
Stress
 Reassure children
 Encourage talk
 Protect from re-exposure to stress
 Help make sense