Chapter 10
Sociological Aspects of Children Moving
Chapter 10-objectives




Briefly describe how children are socialized
into behaving as society expects.
Identify various agents within society who are
part of the socialization process and describe
each agent’s role in shaping behavior and
attitudes.
Discuss socialization through and about
movement.
Discuss inclusion as a socialization issue.
The Socialization of Children


Socialization is education
It is the process through which children





Acquire a sense of personal identity
Learn what people in the surrounding culture believe
Discover how to behave according to the expectations of
that culture
The process involves both “nature” and “nurture”
The process involves a collaborative effort between
the child and society
Socialization Agents



Parents: the family is the primary agent of socialization.
Messages delivered vary based on size and composition of the
family unit as well as the parenting styles used by the parents.
Most effective style is “authoritative”.
School and peers: basic function of the school is to socialize the
child into becoming an adequately functioning adult in the
society. Schools allow friendships between and among peers to
develop which is essential to the healthy development of the
child.
The mass media: is a particularly enticing socialization agent.
Messages conveyed are problematic in the areas of violence,
gender and race stereotyping, and boy/girl relationships. And
the time spent playing video games and watching television
lessens the child’s time available to be physically active.
Movement as a Socialization Agent



A central part of a child’s self-image involves perceptions
surrounding his or her performance competence within the
physical realm.
Children who are physically skilled have better peer relations
and higher self-esteem than those who are not physically
skilled.
Society tells us “who we are” and “how we are expected to
behave” relative to physical activity. Society defines




the role of physical activity in our lives
appropriate activity partners
appropriate activities (based on gender, etc.)
the importance of winning
Movement as a Socialization Agent


Movement is used to help children learn about the
concepts of cooperation, friendship, fairness, and
“doing what’s right”.
Most physical educators teach the following social
skills:






Following class rules and procedures
Using appropriate etiquette for an activity
Practicing physical skills in a safe manner
Behaving ethically in the movement setting
Interacting with others in a positive manner
Developing the skills of teamwork and cooperation
Socializing Children to be Physically Active


The influence of parents
 Parental encouragement
 Parental involvement
 Parental facilitation
 Parental role modeling
The teacher-parent partnership

Parents and teachers need to become major partners in their
efforts to produce physically active children.
Inclusion as a Socialization Issue
Respecting Diversity

When society’s messages are harmful to children,
educators must step forward and be agents of
change.



Find a way students in wheelchairs to play football
Find ways to encourage a boy who wants to dance instead
of play football
NASPE standard 6 indicates that children should
“demonstrate understanding and respect for
differences among people in physical activity setting”.
Assessment of Social Skills
Student self-awareness: used to give students
an opportunity to reflect on their own
behavior at a certain point in time.
 Verbally
 In writing (logs and journals)
 With checklists
 Peer/colleague evaluations
 videotaping