The How will they learn to work in groups and socialize with other students in a learning environment and form co-operative relationships with their peers? This phenomenon of a network of disadvantageous social ties has been called negative social capital (Portes 1998). At-risk children who display early aggression and signs of early offending can have these risks reduced if the school environment is a supportive one. Students academic abilities are identified early in their academic career through the grades they receive. The skills that allow an individual to function within society; in the school setting, it is achieved when students embrace and achieve socially sanctioned goals. Obviously, students in schools are expected to follow the school codes or face some type of reprimand. As well, much flexibility exists in the structure and content of courses as they are shaped by student interest. Socialization: Social institutions provide the structure within which individuals learn the norms and values of society. WebSchools and Socialization into Social Class. The child interacts with many features of his or her environment which all contribute to the childs social development. They tell us what to do, almost like whats right and whats wrong. Indeed, this is a problem facing a great deal of Aboriginal youth in Canada. Canadian studies of the outcomes associated with home schooling are much less plentiful than in the United States, where the home schooling movement has been growing rapidly. Peer-rejected children often display social skills that make them undesirable playmates and friends to other children. A major emphasis in the curriculum is learning practical life skills and how to develop trust for persons in authority. They suggest, interestingly, that drinking and sexual behaviours of young people can be perceived as festive social interactions and [a source of] popularity among teens and emerging adults, as well as representing a problem behaviour (Sussman et al. Theories in the Sociology of Education, 3. Such negative relationships can put students at risk for social maladjustment as well as emotional and behavioural problems. It is implied, however, that more male role models in the classroom would improve boys improvementbut critics again argue that this view relies on a single vision of masculinity that is assumed to be the same among all male teachers (Greig 2003). Sources: Manitoba Education www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/parents/senior/math.html Reproduced with permission from Manitoba Education. Socialization 101: Definition, Agents, and Examples of Socializing Increasing the homogeneity of ability within a classroom also promotes better classroom management (Barakett and Cleghorn 2008). The exceptions, of course, are private schools and many Catholic schools, where uniforms are traditional. School climate refers to the sense of belonging to a school community. Peer aggression can also take the form of relational aggression, which has been identified as behaviour specific to girls (Artz 1998; Simmons 2002). School uniforms became more widely implemented in the public school system in the United States in the 1980s and 1990s when school policies were put in place in an effort to control gang activities and increase safety at schools (Han 2010). Moral education extends into areas beyond the display of particular virtues. The expected behaviours at school are much different from within the family, and the structural features of day-to-day life at school are in stark contrast to what was experienced in the family home. In 2004, the Ontario Human Rights Commission provided evidence that since the adoption of the Safe Schools Act, a disproportionate number of students with various disabilities had been suspended or expelled (Bhattacharje 2003). Bully victims often report experiencing headaches, extreme sadness, insomnia, stomachaches, and suicidal thoughts (Kaltiala-Heino, Rimpel, Marttunen, Rimpel, and Rantanen 1999). The rationale behind introducing school uniforms was that standardizing wardrobes would make it impossible for students to wear clothes reflecting gang affiliation and the presence of intruders within schools would be easier to identify as they would stand out in a sea of uniforms. The peer group becomes more important in adolescence as a source of emotional security and identity. The first of these dimensions is behavioural conformity. Students who exhibit higher academic aptitude are put with similar students into advanced courses where they will be challenged. What group(s) were you in? There are various reasons that parents choose to home school their children. WebHowever, there are some ways in which school can be considered primary socialization. The social learning that children undergo when they enter other social institutions, such as school. Raby (2005, 2008) and Raby and Domitrek (2007) argue that the school is a place where young people are socialized, but that top-down rule making assumes passive citizenship where students are relatively powerless. Unless a child attended preschool or nursery, the structure and routines of the school day and the social relationships within the school setting must be entirely learned. The main thrust of this argument is that teaching staff are disproportionately comprised of females who value certain behaviours (like passivity and obedience, which tend to be found more in girls) and subject matter (like reading, which does not appeal to males as much), and that to improve boys performance, more males must be brought into the profession (Skelton 2002; Titus 2004). 2007)depending on who is doing them. The girls argued that they were honouring a school tradition by wearing duct tape clothing to the game and that their attire was modest. They were also more likely to be married. In a study of 226 Canadian adults who had been home schooled as children, Van Pelt, Allison, and Allison (2009) explored how these individuals compared to a more general population of adult Canadians. She notes that while dress code infractions for girls typically are focused on body containment (e.g., showing too much cleavage), for boys it is about containing ethnic or racial identities. Structural and Social Inequalities in Schooling, After reading this chapter, you will be able to. Canadian researchers have examined the meanness of girls in relation to their popularity (Currie and Kelly 2006; Currie, Kelly, and Pomerantz 2007). Similarly, students who attend private schools can be conceptualized as having been streamed into elite classes that tend to reproduce social stratification in society. Box 6.1 Teaching Morality through Example and through Curriculum, Do students look at teachers as moral exemplars? This type of socialization is accomplished through teachers emphasizing the desirability of certain virtues, such as hard work, equity, being nice, and so on. Students who wish to attend university need to take a certain set of academic courses, for example. The second part discusses gender socialization with a close look and discussion on feminist theory. Gender Socialization. What is the relationship between school rules and the socialization of students? Racialized students and those who have had previous conduct problems within schools are much more likely to drop out of school. Because computer use is seen as a masculine activity by both boys and girls (Sokal 2002, 2010), the use of computers in literacy teaching may neutralize the idea that reading is a feminine task. As noted by Sweet et al. Rules that students opposed were those that seemed pointless and arbitrary, particularly those around dress codes (Raby 2005). Girls are bullied for being unattractive, not being dressed fashionably, and being physically overdeveloped (Shakeshaft and Barber 1995). Schools were not equipped to deal with students with social and emotional disabilities, and it was these very students who were disproportionately punished through the Safe Schools Act. Policy in which specific code infractions result in immediate punishment, usually in the form of suspension or expulsion, and sometimes involving the police. Raby (2005) and Pomerantz (2007) also suggest that dress codes are more likely to be enforced on more physically developed females or those who belong to stigmatized subgroups (e.g., Goths). No scientific evidence has been found that supports the idea that males perform better when taught by male teachers, either in Canada (Coulter and McNay 1993; Sokal et al. As discussed in Chapter 2, while policymakers have made recent attempts to mix the vocational and academic trajectories together in high school in order to make them more comparable, students expressed that, based upon the feedback they received from teachers, academic trajectories were preferred and that vocational paths were stigmatized (Taylor 2010). The inner ring is characterized by explicit moral instruction. As noted by Krahn and Taylor (2007), labour shortages in the area of skilled trades have also supported the arguments for streaming because such shortages point to a need for more vocational training opportunities in Canadian high schools, which of course are associated with the non-academic stream. The first zone is called the core. More participatory models of school rule enforcement and creation do exist, however, such as in alternative schools (see Box 6.4). Describe the processes by which socialization occurs in schools. Recent immigrant youth may also be placed in lower tracks due to their English language skills, rather than their overall academic ability (Sweet et al. No Way! Previous explanations of males outperformance of females in science and mathematics suggested that biological factors predisposed males to be better at more technical subjects than females. 2010). Deviants, elites, and to some extent jocks were more likely to drink, while deviants were the group most likely to use marijuana. The argument that because school teachers are almost exclusively female, schools are a place where male interests are not cultivated. Many of these features of the core can be understood as not only socializing children into being students, but also preparing them for life as adults within bureaucracies. 2010). Figure 6.3 summarizes the major forces of socialization within schools that were discussed. Social experiences are required to develop communication and social skills. The majority of these codes tend to focus on issues surrounding dress codes and behaviour toward other students, teachers, and staff, while some include zero tolerance policies. In early 2011, eight female students at a Catholic high school in Windsor, Ontario were suspended for one day and faced not being able to go to their prom because they wore yellow and blue duct tape tops to a school hockey game in December. 2003). Clubs, Fraternities, and Sororities. Table 6.1 Structural Differences between School and Family Settings. If your child is stressed by harmful actions of a school bully or experiences frequent conflicts, his socialization experience can deteriorate quickly. Socializing This is the complete list of articles we have written about socializing. They found that popular girls held the most power and displayed this power in their ability to police the adherence to numerous unspoken rules about other girls dress and behaviour. In contrast, the English language arts academic trajectory in Alberta is ELA 10-1, 20-1, and 30-1 [which] provides a more in-depth study of text in terms of textual analysis. This act supplanted the Education Act (Section 23), which previously allowed only principals to suspend students and school boards to expel students. Sociology of Education in Canada by Dr. Karen L. Robson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. Summarize how students learn about gender roles in school. There are, however, a significant number of children, not only in Canada but in the United States and beyond, that do not attend school in the way that has been described here. In April 2010, it was announced that the teachers would no longer be employed at the high school. Characteristics of the school, teachers, and the peer group all influence the socialization of children within school settings. The term zero tolerance first gained popularity in the area of law enforcement in the United States. As noted earlier, at the core of these zones are school rules, to which we now turn. For example, the government funds public schools, which play a key role in children's socialization. What problems are being identified? Schools socialize children by teaching them their formal curricula but also a hidden curriculum that imparts the cultural values of the society in which the schools are found. One of these values is the need to respect authority, as evidenced by these children standing in line. The first part addresses the essential implication of race theory in adult education. A Historical Overview of Education in Canada, 6. Socialized delinquency is the violation of the law by individuals younger than 18 years that 2. If theyre breaking what theyre saying it means nothing to us then.1 A student at the competition shot a video of the dance which quickly became an internet sensation accompanied by much public moral outrage. In general, students who plan to attend a post-secondary institution, regardless of their specific career aspirations, need to familiarize themselves with the entry requirements of the institution and program the plan to enter. The media, in particular, have been quick to endorse a position that suggests that the main problem can be found in the ongoing feminization of schooling. Alberta Education. Jussim and Harber (2005) found that the expectations that teachers have about their students influenced how they behaved toward them. Because each province in Canada handles its own curriculum, how streaming occurs in school varies greatly by jurisdiction. Use Google to find home schooling advocacy groups in Canada. What happens if teachers behave in ways that violate norms of morality? The role of teachers as a new authority figure in students lives was introduced earlier. As more schools are trying to instill healthy eating habits and becoming more environmentally conscious, many have adopted rules that prohibit the bringing of certain products to school. Describe how they all impact on student socialization. Bourdieus theory of cultural capital (see Cultural Reproduction in Chapter 2) addresses this type of acculturation, stating that teachers regard certain types of outlooks and student styles as more desirable than others and for students to succeed they need to conform to the cultural practices of the dominant social and cultural class. Pomerantz (2008) studied the school identities of girls at a high school on Vancouvers east side. Differentiate between the home schooled experience and outcomes of socialization with those who attend school. The same study of over 7000 American adults who had been home schooled also found a much greater rate of civic participation among the home schooled than in the general population. Asked about the inappropriateness of their behaviour, one student was quoted as saying, Theyre not setting a good example if theyre going to be doing that. Major agents of socialization include the family and school, but also the media, peer groups, and other major social institutions such as religion and the legal system. Agents of socialization are the social structures in which socialization occurs. Many researchers have called the reaction to perceived underachievement by boys a global moral panic (see, for example, Griffin 2000; Smith 2003; Weaver-Hightower 2003). Moral education is a subject taught at all cycles of school in Quebec. Did you interact with people in other groups? Cooperating, taking turns, and practicing self-control are examples of social rules. This may severely limit their future ability of getting admitted to post-secondary training that leads to higher paying jobs with high status (Krahn and Taylor 2001). Researchers have suggested that codes of conduct may be more positively received when they are worded in a manner that includes. In addition to the two dominant uniforms, Pomerantz (2008) noted that girls also described their styles as comfortable, sporty, goth, punk, alternative, dressy, classy, preppy, regular, casual, weird, skater, random, hip hop (p. 10) and various combinations. Plastic water bottles are banned from sale in schools in Ontario, for example, but there are no cases of students being excluded from activities for having them. A teacher, for example, is largely in charge of the student, but the relationship that a child has with a teacher is far less intimate than the relationship a child shares with his or her parents; A student must also adapt to spending a significant amount of time in large groups; A child must learn to be independent to achieve the academic goals of school; A child must also learn to form bonds and develop social bonds with other children in school; and. The home schooled comprise about one percent of student population in Canada (Hepburn 2001). When children start school, for example, they are socialized to obey authority (i.e., the teacher) and in how to be a student. Favourable school climates are characterized by non-arbitrary rule enforcement, rewarding of appropriate behaviour, and positive interactions between students and teachers (Reinke and Herman 2002). Illustrate how peer groups contribute to the social identity of students. What are Brints three zones of socialization? Sex-typing of childrens play (e.g., specific activities for boys and others for girls) can also contribute to reinforcing gender differences in behaviour and the understanding that children have about the appropriate roles for males and females. What kinds of topics do they discuss on their websites? Customer Service Environment Group Dynamics Institutions Looking What kinds of peer groups existed in your high school? Of course, popularity is a factor in social identity. Students are active in decisions surrounding the administration of the school, content of learning, and social events. Of course, the socialization that results from primary socialization rests heavily upon the social class, ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds and attitudes of the family. Pomerantz argues that dress codes are not simply neutral school policies; they also impact on the creation of gender, sexuality, and race. In addition to features of the school and teacher characteristics, a major part of socialization at school involves students interaction with their peer group. These behaviours, however, served only to reproduce their working-class membership. Mathematics and science, for example, are subjects in which males have historically outperformed females. The deviants category encapsulated a very diverse collection of peer groups including burnouts, stoners, skaters, rebels, punks, partiers, and various alternative groups (including those defined by sexual orientation). Education serves as an agent of socialization because it engages students in competition in academic success which helps create a social environment for students to interact in. While school uniforms are standard attire in the United Kingdom, they have not been adopted in most North American schools until relatively recently. These ideals are normatively approved and accepted models of what a student should be like to fit into schooling contexts, not only in North America but in virtually all places where formal schooling occurs. Give examples of how each works. The Britney look consisted of tight jeans and midriff-baring tops, while the JLo look was characterized by figure-hugging velour track suits. Changes in specific school dress codes shift according to trends in popular fashion. Recognizing that such negative peer interactions can have a profound impact on childhood socialization and later-life well-being (Canadian Council on Learning 2008), many schools have adopted strict anti-bullying policies that are incorporated into their school rules. They also found significant differences by province: students from Saskatchewan were much more likely to have university options than those in British Columbia, Alberta, or Ontario. The Ontario Human Rights Commission launched a complaint against the Toronto District School Board, indicating that students with certain types of disabilities were being discriminated against. Benefits. Conflicts within relationships are dealt with in ways such that the relationship itself becomes the weapon. Peer rejection refers to the failure of children to be socially accepted by their peers. The process of a student internalizing the preferred understanding of what is right and wrong; accomplished through teachers emphasizing the desirability of certain virtues, such as hard work, equity, being nice, and so on. However, as Greig (2003) points out, this approach assumes that all boys like a particular type of book and that there is a standardized masculine identity that should be cultivated. Current practices appear to reflect the desire to create obedient future employees or citizens (Raby 2005). Such factors may include the ability of the student to control his or her own behaviour (Daniel and Bondy 2008). That streaming has a positive effect on the academic attainment of high-ability groups has been documented by Ansalone (2001, 2003), although these gains are arguably at the expense of students in the lower-ability tracks (Sweet et al. These labels are not easily shed and can have spillover effects into other areas of social interaction, such as peer relations and future teacher expectations (Jones 1972). It has been found that peer abuse results in low self-esteem and depression (Boulton and Underwood 1993; Rigby and Slee 1995; Salmon and James 1998; Slee 1995; Smith and Myron-Wilson 1998), feelings of insecurity (Slee 1995), anxiety (Slee 1994), and social withdrawal (McCarthy 1997). Other research has suggested that cultural differences between childrens families and teachers result in the enforcement of zero tolerance policies for perceived minor infractions being viewed as excessive and impersonal by parents (Bernhard et al. Other research using the same Canadian data sources has also found that a strong school bond, or commitment to ones school and education, is associated with protecting children from the influence of delinquent peers and reducing early aggression in young students (Sprott, Jenkins, and Doob 2005). Often such students have difficult home lives and such supports may be lacking in the home environment. Homeschooled children have stronger relationships with their parents and The second dimension of socialization is moral conformity, which refers to the process of a student internalizing the preferred understanding of what is right and wrong. Look on the internet for official curriculum documents about moral education in Canada. These 1400 hours in the school setting per year do not include extracurricular activities and school preparatory work, like homework. Children must learn the work ethic that goes along with school and understand the goals of learning as well as adjusting their efforts according to teacher feedback. Warm and supportive teachers and a positive school climate are crucial for the positive social development of children, and the absence of such can have long-term detrimental effects on students, particularly if they have family problems. Arai (2000) found in a study of Canadian parents who home schooled their children that most indicated that they objected to specific parts of public education rather than the institution as a whole. Apple (2000) argues that home schoolers not only remove children from school, but also have gone so far as to isolate themselves into separate factions. They were more likely to be found in social service, health, and creative occupations, and were more likely to report participating in cultural and group activities than those who were not home schooled. Students who are less academically inclined are put into classes that better match their abilities and interests, like vocational training. The conflicts that students have with such rules were also highlighted. Krahn and Taylor (2007) found that a major influence on course selection was parental education and family income; students from families with lower incomes and in which neither parent had post-secondary qualifications were more likely to take lower-streamed courses. Examples of teachers acting in morally suggestive ways occasionally make it into the mainstream media. Rather than committing acts of physical violence toward each other, girls are much more likely to participate in covert acts of aggression such as spreading rumours and excluding individuals from their social group. Cohens examples of moral panics surrounded various youth cultures, particularly the Mods and Rockers of the early 1960s, and how the media portrayed them as a threat to established law and social order. Brint (1998) identifies three major zones of socialization within classrooms (see Figure 6.2). As noted by Sussman et al. In a study of secondary students responses to dress codes, Raby (2010) found that many girls regarded specific aspects of dress codes overly restrictive (such as the prohibition of tank tops with spaghetti straps) but were often quick to condemn girls who wore revealing clothing as sluts. While wanting to challenge gender inequalities, they were also active participants in reproducing them. School provides a structured setting in which children can learn and develop social competencies, such as self-confidence, friendship, empathy, participation, respect, gratitude, compassion, and responsibility. Social and emotional learning is important for young people to become conscious members of a solidarity-based community. It should be noted that informal mechanisms of streaming, however, can also be understood as the outcomes of other schooling practices that occur at the level of the institution. Our peer group is also important because typically our peers share the same interest which lays foundation for support and socialization amongst the group. Next: Structural and Social Inequalities in Schooling, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, Relationships broken at end of school year. Relationships with teachers are also central in the process of socialization. Raby (2005) further argues that school codes of conduct reflect middle-class, often White, and rather gendered values. The physical and emotional abuse experienced by children from other childrenotherwise known as bullying. What is the Value of a Liberal Arts Degree? Streaming not only influences the course choices of students, but also contributes to the overall socialization of children and adolescents in schools. Schools become a significant social world for children to navigate. Since 2007 in Ontario and 2005 in Alberta, character education has been part of the official curriculum in public schools. Examples-socialization must occur for a high school freshman to adjust to their new situation.