UNIT 18 SCHOOL AND PEER

Introduction: The Role of Peer Relationships and Schools

Overview:

• Social Nature of Humans: Man is inherently social and seeks the company of others.
• Socialization: Results from various interactions and encounters.
• Expansion of Social World:
  • As children grow, they look beyond family to peers in their neighborhood and school.
  • Becoming socialized is a key developmental task, reducing family influence on attitudes and behavior.

1. Importance of Peer Relationships:

• Role in Development:
  • Children join peer groups, which influence their thinking and behavior.
  • Peers help children to fit in and adopt similar behaviors and attitudes.
• Behavioral Influence:
  • Children often align with their age group, class, or friend circle.

2. Balancing Values:

• Emotional Health:
  • Achieving balance in decision-making with values from family, independent thinking, and peers.
• Positive Influence:
  • Clear value systems, positive role models, and engaging peer groups promote healthy peer pressure.

3. Objectives:

• Importance of Peer Relationships:
  • Discuss their role in shaping behavior and attitudes.
• Peer Pressure:
  • Understand its impact on individual children.
• Opinion of Peer Groups:
  • Recognize why peer opinions matter.
• School and Peer Influence:
  • Explore how schools and peers contribute to value development.
• Peer Learning:
• Examine how peer learning occurs through various activities.

Peer Relationships

Definition of Peers:

• Peers are individuals of similar abilities, age, background, and social status.
• Role: Peers are friends and companions with whom we share common interests and feelings.

1. Who are Peers?

• Identification: People with whom we connect and spend time.
• Role in Life:
  • Peers become significant as we grow, often playing a larger role than parents or siblings.
  • They are like an extended family, providing friendship and acceptance.

2. Peer Evolution:

• Infancy to Early Childhood:
  • First Year: Social interactions through touches, smiles, and gestures.
  • Second Year: Increased play and interaction; preference for certain peers.
• Preschool and Elementary School:
  • Preschool: Development of friendships and interactions.
  • Elementary School: Complex peer interactions and sophisticated games. Shift from neighbors to chosen friends.
• Adolescence:
  • Cliques: Formation of groups (e.g., jocks, brains) with shared interests.
  • Complex Interactions: Membership in crowds and cliques, exploration of identity.

3. Importance of Peer Relationships:

• Social Skill Development:
  • Children learn to balance ego-centric interests with group interests.
  • Peer interactions teach role-taking, cooperation, and teamwork.
• Role-Taking Abilities:
  • Helps children accept others' viewpoints and break down ego-centrism.
  • Increases social competence and popularity.
• Social Perspective Skills:
• Understanding own behavior from others' viewpoints.
• Essential for moral reasoning, problem-solving, and effective communication.

Peer Pressure

Definition:

• Peer Pressure: The influence exerted by a peer group that can affect an individual’s attitudes, behaviors, or decisions to fit into that group.

1. Understanding Peer Pressure:

• Influence and Conformity:
  • Desire to match peers’ behaviors, tastes, and values.
  • Example: Wanting the same toy or clothes as friends.
• Natural Process:
  • Everyone identifies with and is influenced by peers.

2. Development of Peer Pressure:

• Early Childhood:
  • Pre-School: Least aware and least influenced by peer pressure.
• Later Childhood and Adolescence:
  • Increased Awareness: More social interactions lead to greater influence.
  • Teenage Years: Peak of peer pressure; strong desire to conform to group norms.

3. Examples of Peer Pressure:

• Children:
  • 6-Year-Old: Demands toys because friends have them; tantrum if refused.
  • 10-Year-Old: Refuses to wear a dress after being teased.
• Teenagers:
  • Boys: Work out to match the 'perfect body' of school heroes.
  • Girls: Starve to match the beauty standards set by peers.
• Adults:
  • Workplace: Pressure to conform to work culture or dress code.
  • Neighborhood: Desire to fit into local social norms.

4. Consequences of Peer Pressure:

• Adolescents:
  • Conflict: Between individual identity and group belonging.
  • Gangs: Adherence to group norms (dress, behavior, speech) to fit in.
• Adults:
  • Rational Balance: Ability to balance group beliefs with personal individuality.
• Potential Neglect: Children and teens may ignore family or societal values.

Peer Groups and Their Influence

1. Definition of Peer Group:

• Basic Definition: Contemporaries of the same status.
• Extended Definition: A group of people of similar age, social status, and interests.

2. Importance of Peer Groups:

• Sense of Belonging:
  • Acceptance: Children feel accepted and valued.
  • Self-Esteem: Enhances self-esteem and confidence.
• Simplifies Life:
  • Conformity: Life becomes simpler when aligning with peer values.
  • Shared Experiences: Connects with those facing similar problems.

3. Characteristics of Peer Groups:

• Strong Belief Structure: Shared values and beliefs.
• Clear System of Rules: Guidelines for behavior.
• Communication on Sensitive Topics: Discusses taboo subjects like drugs, sex, smoking.

4. Value Development through Peers:

• Not Just Negative Influence:
  • Affection and Understanding: Peers provide emotional support.
  • Experimentation: Opportunities for self-discovery and autonomy.
• Developmental Tasks:
  • Identity Formation: Answering "Who am I?"
  • Independence: Developing a separate identity from parents.

5. Impact of Peer Groups:

• Positive Influence:
  • Academic Achievement: Peers can motivate academic success.
  • Supportive Environment: Encourages positive behaviors and values.
• Risk and Challenges:
  • High-Risk Behaviors: Pressure may lead to risky behaviors.
  • Adolescent Risk: Increased risk when transitioning to high school and exposure to older peer groups.

6. Research Findings:

• Academic Success: Peer values often influence academic performance more than family values.
• Positive Peer Groups: High-achieving peers contribute to better academic performance.
• Negative Peer Groups: Peers with less focus on academics can impact performance negatively.

Inculcation of Values Through School and Peers

Role of Schools and Teachers:

• Influence of Environment: The school atmosphere and teacher's personality greatly affect children’s value development.
• Teacher's Role: Teachers must model sincerity, kindness, and a positive attitude. They should guide children with understanding and not harshness.

Principles for Schools:

1. Warm and Inclusive Environment: Schools should be friendly and make every child feel valued and included.
2. Shared Ethos: Develop a common set of values agreed upon by both staff and students.
3. Participation: Offer opportunities for children to engage in group activities.
4. Responsibility: Encourage responsibility in actions, contributions, and problem-solving.
5. Curiosity and Creativity: Design curriculum to stimulate curiosity and creativity.
6. Guidance and Counseling: Maintain a system for support and guidance.
7. Diverse Learning Sources: Allow learning from peers, books, teachers, and external experts.

School Activities for Value Reinforcement:

• Assemblies: Emphasize values such as Courage, Compassion, Responsibility, and others.
• Peer Leader Program: Train selected students to act as role models and participate in counseling and community programs.
• Collaborative Learning: Peer mentoring and tutoring to help others academically and develop skills.
• Youth Organizations: Engage in cultural programs, charity, health camps, and conservation drives.
• Sports Clubs: Promote sportsmanship, teamwork, and handling success and failure positively.

Peer Learning Through Activities

1. Developing Self-Esteem and Confidence

• Self-Esteem: Confidence and satisfaction in oneself. High self-esteem helps handle criticism and failure.
• Self-Confidence: Builds from making right choices and sticking to them despite peer pressure.

2. Recognizing Positive Personality Traits

• Recognition: Acknowledge traits like discipline, honesty, and helpfulness.
• Peer Voting Activity:
  • Step 1: Discuss traits with students.
  • Step 2: Students vote for peers demonstrating these traits.
  • Step 3: Award certificates to those with the most votes.
• Self-Improvement Activity:
  • Step 1: Students identify traits they admire in classmates.
  • Step 2: Regular peer evaluations on these traits.
• Dumb Charades Game: Act out qualities for identification, ensuring sensitivity and respect.

3. Helping Kids Make and Stand Up for Good Choices

• Group Activities: Discuss ethical dilemmas and decision-making.
• “Know Yourself” Activity:
  • Step 1: Create two columns in notebooks: “Okay” and “Not Okay.”
  • Step 2: Categorize common situations.
  • Step 3: Discuss choices and share experiences of saying “No.”

4. Teaching Forethought

• Decision-Making Questions:
  • Will this harm me or others?
  • Could this affect my long-term health or education?
  • Would this be approved by my parents or teachers?
  • Is this illegal or unethical?

5. Weighing Decisions

• Activity: Balance decisions using the questions from forethought to evaluate potential outcomes.