Child, Family, School,
and Community
Socialization and Support
th
6
Chapter Six
ECOLOGY OF THE SCHOOL
ed.
SCHOOL AS A
SOCIALIZING AGENT
• School = society’s formal institution
where learning takes place
• School socializes children by
providing intellectual and social
experiences that characterizes
individuals and shapes their abilities
for adulthood.
SCHOOL AS A
SOCIALIZING AGENT
(Cont’d)
• Primary purpose of education =
transmission of the society’s cultural
heritage
• U.S. schools functions are
– universal
– formal
– prescriptive
MACROSYSTEM
INFLUENCES ON SCHOOLS
FACTORS IN EDUCATIONAL DECISIONS
DEMOCRACY
the basic political ideology of the U. S.
requires citizens be educated to
discuss and compromise on
issues pertaining to them
MACROSYSTEM
INFLUENCES ON SCHOOLS
FACTORS IN EDUCATIONAL DECISIONS
(Cont’d)
How much society pays for education is
based on:
– equality of opportunity
– concept of knowledge and skills required for
the future
– opinion of the affordability of programs and
curricula
MACROSYSTEM
INFLUENCES ON SCHOOLS
School choice
Macrosystem influences evident in society’s
policies regarding school choice
Many perceive private schools as
more successful than public schools
MACROSYSTEM
INFLUENCES ON SCHOOLS
School choice
(Cont’d)
• The voucher system constantly scrutinized
• Some believe any public school mechanism
WILL NOT benefit their child and chose homebased education
DIVERSITY and EQUITY- GENDER
AFTER 1972 (passage of Title IX)
inequalities in schools
based on gender
DIVERSITY and EQUITY- GENDER
Every public school and most colleges and
universities are governed by Title IX
DIVERSITY AND EQUITY:
ETHNICITY
Macrosystem ideology that school is
responsible for socializing ethnically
diverse groups
correlates with
American immigration policy
DIVERSITY AND EQUITY:
ETHNICITY
Ideological backgrounds for socialization:
children from ethnically diverse or
minority families are much more likely
to be poor
DIVERSITY AND EQUITY
ETHNICITY
(cont’d)
Bilingual/Multicultural Education:
more children from ethnically diverse
groups with limited English proficiency are
attending U.S. schools and are at risk for
failure
DIVERSITY AND EQUITY
SPECIAL NEEDS
Ideological background for socialization:
– During the pre-Christian era, people with
disabilities often banished, neglected,
and/or mistreated
– As Christianity spread, they were
protected and pitied
DIVERSITY AND EQUITY
SPECIAL NEEDS
(Cont’d)
18th & 19th
Centuries
institutions
provide
separate
education
Late 20th
Century
people with
disabilities more
accepted and
integrated into the
mainstream
DIVERSITY AND EQUITY
SPECIAL NEEDS
(Cont’d)
Individuals With Disabilities Act (IDEA):
provides federal money to state
and local agencies to educate
children with disabilities age 3-21
FEDERAL
FOR STUDENTS
WITH DISABILITIES
CHRONOSYSTEM
INFLUENCES ON SCHOOLS
ADAPTATIONS TO SOCIAL CHANGE
– The political climate from the late 1950s to
early 1970s was supportive of social change.
– A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for
Educational Reform (1993) created a public
demand for social change in public schools
– The Educational Excellence Act for All
Children helped establish goals that are still
goals today
CHRONOSYSTEM
INFLUENCES ON SCHOOLS
TECHNOLOGY
Computers can
individualize instruction
to accommodate
different learning styles.
CHRONOSYSTEM
INFLUENCES ON SCHOOLS
SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Substance use and
abuse is still a major
problem among high
schoolers and an
increasing one among
middle schoolers.
MESOSYSTEM INFLUENCES
SCHOOL- CHILD LINKAGES
Individual learning styles may
determine which type of learning
environment is optimal.
MESOSYSTEM INFLUENCES
SCHOOL- FAMILY LINKAGES
Children from low-SES and ethnically diverse families
fare comparably to middle-class children when:
– Home environment that encourage learning
– Families have high expectations for their
children’s achievement
– Families become involved in their children’s
lives
MESOSYSTEM INFLUENCES
FAMILY INVOLVEMENT
There are three major ways of family involvement:
– Decision making
– Participation
– Partnership
MESOSYSTEM INFLUENCES
FAMILY- SCHOOL LINKAGES
A Child’s Readiness to Learn
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
A healthy start
Empowered parents
Quality preschool
A responsible workplace
Television as teacher
Neighborhoods for learning
Connections across the generations
MESOSYSTEM INFLUENCES
FAMILY- SCHOOL LINKAGES
• School-peer group linkages – children’s
attitudes about learning influenced by their peer
group
• School-media linkages – schools are linked to
media via use in the classroom and by mediarelated experiences students have outside the
classroom that may influence their learning.
• School-community linkages – communities
allocate resources for schools