Lesson 11: Social Relationship in the Middle and Late Adolescence

Lesson Guide Question: :How does understanding group membership and leadership improve social
relationships?

Introduction :

When a child is in his adolescent years , he or she is in transitioning both physically and mentally
from being a child to an adult. During this period there are several different stages that children must
go through. These stages range from early to late adolescence. Middle adolescence is the stage
when the child is between the ages of 14 and 18. It is a period of significant emotional, intellectual
and social development.

During the middle adolescence , puberty may have already come to an end or it is close to an end.
This does not mean that children will have completely stopped growing or changing , although the
growth rate does begin to chance between the genders. A middle adolescent boy will continue to
grow physically while growth in a girl of the same age group will begin to slow down.

Objectives :

At the end of this lesson , the students- learners will be able to:
1. distinguish the various roles of different individuals in society and how they can influence
people through their leadership or followership,
2. compare their self-perception and how others see them, and how other see him or her
3. conduct a mini-survey on Filipino relationships ( family , school and community)

Discussion of the Topics:

Motivation:

Groups and Organizations Introduction / Procedure / Reminders:

1. To introduce the topic, which of the following groups/clubs /organizations you belong to:
• choir
• dance group
• play/theater arts
• school cheer leading team
• school paper
• others (identify existing organizations in your school and/or area)

2. Please answer the following questions and have it written in your personal journal :
a. Why did you choose to be in that particular group/organization?
b. What was the biggest factor that made you decide to be in that group/organization?
c. Who decided on your role in that organization?
d. How do you fulfill your responsibilities in that organization?
e. How do you find the leader/s of the organization?

3. Activity: ‘My organizations : Write down the name of organizations you belong to, the type of
organization and your position/role in the organization.

4. To introduce the readings (How culture shapes many aspects of adolescent development,
Teenagers’ who join youth groups and other clubs are happier and less likely to drink, and Community
activity: get involved), Keep in mind that society/community/culture plays a major role in the life of a
teenager. Teens have to be mindful of who they follow, go with/join, and imitate.

5. Being with the majority is not always correct. There are many benefits of being able to help
others; teens are in the best position to serve older people or be of service to the community. Many
studies and research have shown that being in a club/organization and serving the community benefit
teens.

Activity: MY ORGANIZATIONS
Name Of Organization Type Of Organization* My Position/Role In The
Organization

*Neighborhood association, church group, singing/dance group, community organization,

youth group, club, school organization, volunteer group, etc.

Reading: HOW CULTURE SHAPES MANY ASPECTS OF ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT

As you have known by now, the relationships adolescents have with their peers, family, and
members of their social sphere play a vital role in their development. Adolescence is a crucial
period in social development, as adolescents can be easily swayed by their close relationships.
Research shows there are four main types of relationships that influence an adolescent:
parents, peers, community, and society.

In this part of the lesson , we will focus on Community, Society, and Culture. There are certain
characteristics of adolescent development that are more rooted in culture than in human
biology or cognitive structures. Culture is learned and socially shared, and it affects all aspects
of an individual's life. Social responsibilities, sexual expression, and belief-system development,
for instance, are all likely to vary based on culture. Furthermore, many distinguishing
characteristics of an individual (such as dress, employment, recreation, and language) are all
products of culture.

Many factors that shape adolescent development vary by culture. For instance, the degree to
which adolescents are perceived as autonomous, or independent, beings varies widely in
different cultures, as do the behaviors that represent this emerging autonomy. The lifestyle
of an adolescent in a given culture is also profoundly shaped by the roles and responsibilities he
or she is expected to assume.

The extent to which an adolescent is expected to share family responsibilities, for example, is
one large determining factor in normative adolescent behavior: adolescents in certain cultures
are expected to contribute significantly to household chores and responsibilities, while others
are given more freedom or come from families with more privilege where responsibilities are fewer.
Differences between families in the distribution of financial responsibilities or provision of allowance
may reflect various socioeconomic backgrounds, which are further influenced by cultural norms and
values.

Adolescents begin to develop unique belief systems through their interaction with social, familial, and
cultural environments. These belief systems encompass everything from religion and spirituality to
gender, sexuality, work ethics, and politics. The range of attitudes that a culture embraces on a
particular topic affects the beliefs, lifestyles, and perceptions of its adolescents, and can have both
positive and negative impacts on their development. As an example, early-maturing girls may suffer
teasing or sexual harassment related to their developing bodies, contributing to a higher risk of
depression, substance abuse, and eating disorders.

Source: Ge, Conger, & Elder, 2001; Graber, Lewinsohn, Seeley, & Brooks-Gunn, 1997; Striegel-
Moore & Cachelin, 1999; https://www.boundless.com/psychology/textbooks/boundless-
psychology-textbook/human- development-14/adolescence-73/cultural-and-societal-
influences-on-adolescent- development-285-12820/
Reading: TEENAGERS WHO JOIN YOUTH GROUPS AND OTHER CLUBS ARE HAPPIER AND LESS LIKELY
TO DRINK

Teenagers who belong to youth groups and other clubs lead happier lives and are less likely to
drink or smoke, a research shows. Although they may be exposed to more peer pressure,
researchers found they were also more socially able and likely to be physically active. And the
benefits increased the more groups that they joined, the findings show.

Teens should be encouraged to join clubs, international researchers, including a group from the
University of Hertfordshire, advise. The findings show that they were a fifth less likely to smoke
and to ever have been drunk than other teenagers their age. They were also a fifth more likely to
eat fruit and vegetables regularly.

The study also found taking part in club activities increased the youngsters' happiness levels.
Those who rated their lives as highly satisfactory were 51 per cent more likely to belong to a
sports club than those who were less happy.

The study looked at 15-year-olds across six countries – England, Canada, Belgium, Italy, Poland
and Romania. However, the study suggests that not all clubs for young people offered the same
health benefits. Youngsters were two thirds more likely to smoke if were members of political
organizations or youth clubs than if they joined no clubs at all.

“The present findings support the notion that encouraging participation in a range of associations
is a useful and beneficial policy goal especially for young people, increasing their facility to
access and become part of wide-ranging networks,” the authors report in their findings,
published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/6810651/Teenagers-who-join-youth-
groups-and-other-clubs-are-happier-and-less-likely-to-drink.html

Reading: COMMUNITY ACTIVITY: GET INVOLVED

Getting involved in local community activities or volunteering can boost your confidence and
self-esteem and help you build new skills. You can get started by finding activities that interest
you.
Community activities and civic responsibility

Community activity is part of ‘civic responsibility’. It’s about doing things in our
community because we want to or feel we should, rather than because we have to by law.

You can take civic responsibility and be active in your community by:

 joining a Youth Club, a scouting group or a local environmental or clean-up group

 helping with a primary school play, or coordinating or coaching junior sport
 setting up an arts space for the community or getting involved in youth radio
 being part of a youth advisory group through the local council
 promoting causes – for example, clean environment, recycling, get active in sports
You might be interested in online civic or community activities – for example, an online
campaign to save a local area of wildlife. Online community involvement can motivate you to
get involved in face-to-face community activities.

What you can get from being involved in community activities

It doesn’t matter what you do. Any involvement is good! When you get involved in community
activities, you get a lot of personal rewards and feelings of achievement

Role models

By getting involved with community activities, you can come into contact with like-minded
peers and positive adult role models other than your parents. Interacting and cooperating with
other adults encourages you to see the world in different ways. It puts your own family
experiences and values into a wider context. For example, your family might have certain
religious or spiritual beliefs – or none at all – but when you come into contact with others who
believe different things, perhaps through some charity work, you might see some new ways of
putting beliefs into action for the good of others.

Identity and connection:

Young people are busy working out who they are and where they fit in the world. They try out
different identities, experiment with different styles of dress and might try out a range of
different activities and hobbies. Being involved in community activities can give you a positive
way of understanding who you are. As a result, you might come to see yourself as helpful,
generous, political or just a ‘good’ person in general. Being involved in community activities can
also help create a sense of being connected to your local community and the wider world.

Skills

Community activities give you the chance to apply the skills you already have.

For example, you could use the cooking skills you have learned at home at a community
feeding program or at a school fund-raising project. Voluntary work and community activities
are also great opportunities to show initiative and develop skills to get a job. For example, the
school fund-raising project could give you experience in speaking to customers and handling
cash. Volunteering for the community feeding project might help you prepare for getting a part-
time job as a waiter. For those who are interested in being a vet, helping out at an animal shelter
or washing and walking local dogs is a good way to demonstrate commitment and get a
reference.

Being able to manage free time, while balancing leisure, work and study, is an important life
skill. Being part of community activities could motivate you to get more organized and start to
manage your own time.

Self-confidence, mental health and well-being

Community activities can boost one’s self-confidence. You can learn to deal with challenges,
communicate with different people and build up your life skills and abilities in a supportive
environment. This is also good for your self-esteem. It’s also a great foundation for general and mental
health and wellbeing. It can be very positive psychologically for you to have something that gets you
involved, where others expect you to turn up and take part, and where you’re supported to achieve
something as part of a group. These positive feelings can help protect you from sadness and
depression. Being involved in some kind of community activity can also reduce the likelihood of
substance abuse, mental illness and criminal activity.

Source: http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/community_activity_teenagers.html
VARIOUS ROLES OF DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS IN SOCIETY
The relationships adolescents have with their peers , family and members of their social sphere play
a vital role in their development. Adolescence is a crucial period in social development as adolescents
can be easily swayed by their close relationships. Research shows there are four main types of
relationships that influence an adolescents: parents , peers , community and society .
a. Parental relationship – When children go through puberty ( e.g. in USA) , there is often a
significant increase in parent-child conflict and a decrease in cohesive family bonding. Arguments often
concern new issue s of control such as curfew, acceptable clothing and the right to privacy.
Parent-adolescent disagreement also increase as friends demonstrate a greater impact on the child ,
this is especially true when parents do not approve of new friends ‘values or behavior.
While adolescents strive for freedom , the unknowns can be frightening for parents. Although
conflicts between children and parents increase during adolescence, they are often related to
relatively minor issues ; regarding more important life issues , many adolescents will still share the
same attitudes and values as their parents. Adolescent who have a good relationships with their
parents are less likely to engage in various risky behaviors , such a smoking , drinking, fighting and /or
unexpected sex.
b. Peer Relationship – A adolescence work to form their identities , they pull away from their
parents and the peer group becomes very important. The level of influence that peers can have
over an adolescents makes these relationships particularly important in personal development . As
children begin to create binds with various people , they start to form friendships , high quality
friendship may enhance a child’s development regardless of the particular characteristics of those
friends .
Adolescents associates with friends of the opposite sex much more than in childhood and tend to
identify with larger groups of peers based on shred characteristics.
Peer Groups offer members of the group the opportunity to develop social skills such as empathy,
sharing and leadership. Peer groups can have positive influences on an individual such as academic
motivation and performance; however they can laso have a negative influences such as peer
pressure to engage in drug use, drinking, vandalism, stealing and other risky behavior. Susceptibility to
peer pressure increase during early adolescence and while peers may facilitate positive social
development for one another they may also hinder it. Emotional reactions to problems and
emotional instability –both characteristic of the hormonal changes in adolescence -have been linked
with physical aggressions among peers . Research has linked both physical and relational aggression
to a vast number of enduring psychological difficulties including depression.
c. Community , Society and Culture – There are certain characteristics of adolescents
development that are more rooted in culture than in human biology or cognitive structures.
Culture is learned and socially shared and it affects all aspects of an individual’s life. Social
responsibilities , sexual expressions and belief-system development, for instance are all likely to vary
based on culture. Furthermore, many distinguishing characteristics of an individual such as dress ,
employment, recreation and language are all products of culture.
Many factors that shape adolescent development vary by culture . For instance , the degree to which
adolescents are perceived as autonomous or independent, beings varies widely in different culture s as
to do the behaviors that represent the emerging autonomy. The lifestyle of an adolescent in a given
culture is also profoundly shaped by the roles and responsibilities he or she is expected to assume.
The extent to which an adolescent is expected to share family responsibilities , for example , is
one large determining factor in normative behavior : adolescents in certain cultures are
expected to contribute significantly to household chores and responsibilities while others are
given more freedom or come from families with more privilege where responsibilities are
fewer. Differences between families in the distribution of financial responsibilities or provision
of allowance may reflect various socioeconomic backgrounds which are further influenced by
cultural norms and values.

Journal Output No. : Description of My Social Group

In your personal journal write about one of your social groups, its nature, activities, and
benefits. Include a photo of yourself with the group.

Reading: LESSONS ON LEADERSHIP AND MEMBERSHIP FROM FABLES

Can you identify the lesson being taught by each story?

1. The Farmer and the Stork

A Farmer placed nets on his newly sown plough lands, and caught a quantity of Cranes, which
came to pick up his seed. With them he trapped a Stork also. The Stork having his leg fractured
by the net, earnestly besought the Farmer to spare his life. “Pray, save me, Master,” he said, “and
let me go free this once. My broken limb should excite your pity. Besides, I am no Crane, I am a
Stork, a bird of excellent character; and see how I love and slave for my father and mother. Look
too, at my feathers, they are not the least like to those of a Crane.” The Farmer laughed aloud,
and said, “It may be all as you say; I only know this, I have taken you with these robbers, the
Cranes, and you must die in their company.”
Source: http://www.artofmanliness.com/2010/10/17/manvotional-aesops-fables/

2. The Hunter and the Woodsman

A hunter, not very bold, was searching for the tracks of a Lion. He asked a man felling oaks in
the forest if he had seen any marks of his footsteps or knew where his lair was. “I will,” said the
man, “at once show you the Lion himself.” The Hunter, turning very pale and chattering with his
teeth from fear, replied, “No, thank you. I did not ask that; it is his track only I am in search of,
not the Lion himself.”
Source:http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_aesop_hunter_woodman.htm

3. Bear and man lying down

Two men were traveling together, when a bear suddenly met them on their path. One of them
climbed up quickly into a tree, and concealed himself in the branches. The other, seeing that he
must be attacked, fell flat on the ground, and when the Bear came up and felt him with his snout,
and smelt him all over, he held his breath, and feigned the appearance of death as much as he
could. The Bear soon left him, for it is said he will not touch a dead body. When he was quite
gone, the other traveler descended from the tree, and accosting his friend, jocularly inquired
“what it was the Bear had whispered in his ear?” he replied, “He gave me this advice: Never
travel with a friend who deserts you at the approach of danger.”
Source: http://www.moralstories.org/the-bear-and-the-two-friends/

4. Goatherd and the wild goats

A Goatherd, driving his flock from their pasture at eventide, found some Wild Goats mingled
among them, and shut them up together with his own for the night. The next day it snowed very
hard, so that he could not take the herd to their usual feeding places, but was obliged to keep
them in the fold. He gave his own goats just sufficient food to keep them alive, but fed the
strangers more abundantly in the hope of enticing them to stay with him and of making them his
own. When the thaw set in, he led them all out to feed, and the Wild Goats scampered away as
fast as they could to the mountains. The Goatherd scolded them for their ingratitude in leaving
him, when during the storm he had taken more care of them than of his own herd. One of them,
turning about, said to him: “That is the very reason why we are so cautious; for if you yesterday
treated us better than the Goats you have had so long, it is plain also that if others came after us,
you would in the same manner prefer them to ourselves.
” Source: http://fablesofaesop.com/the-goatherd-and-the-wild- goats.html

5. The Gnat and the Bull

A Gnat settled on the horn of a Bull, and sat there a long time. Just as he was about to fly off, he
made a buzzing noise, and inquired of the Bull if he would like him to go. The Bull replied, “I
did not know you had come, and I shall not miss you when you go away.”
Source: http://www.artofmanliness.com/2010/10/17/manvotional-aesops-
fables/

6. The Man and the Little Cat

One day, an old man was having a stroll in the forest when he suddenly saw a little cat stuck in a
hole. The poor animal was struggling to get out. So, he gave him his hand to get him out. But the
cat scratched his hand with fear. The man pulled his hand screaming with pain. But he did not
stop; he tried to give a hand to the cat again and again. Another man was watching the scene,
screamed with surprise, “Stop helping this cat! He’s going to get himself out of there”. The other
man did not care about him, he just continued saving that animal until he finally succeeded, And
then he walked to that man and said , “Son, it is cat’s Instincts that makes him scratch and to
hurt, and it is my job to love and care”.
Source: http://www.moralstories.org/the-man-and-the-little-cat/
Activity: QUESTIONNAIRE ON ETHICAL AND SERVANT LEADERSHIP

Answer the following statements with a True or False.

1. Leaders can follow their whims and fancies. FALSE
2. Leaders are capable to do anything they like. FALSE
3. Leaders don’t need to mind their subjects. FALSE
4. Leaders should follow ethical principles. TRUE
5. Leaders are responsible. TRUE
6. Leaders are to serve others. TRUE
7. An Ethical Leader is someone who works for other people’s interests and not for his own
hidden agenda or ulterior motives as guided by sound principles. TRUE
8. Servant leadership is the type of leadership that puts others first before one’s own self.
TRUE
A servant leader listens deeply to others and empathizes with the people around him/her. TRUE

9. A servant leader puts others’ concerns first and foremost above own self- interests and
motives. TRUE

An Ethical Leader is someone who works for other people’s interests and not for his own hidden
agenda or ulterior motives as guided by sound principles.

Reading: SERVANT
LEADERSHIP

While the idea of servant leadership goes back at least two thousand years, the modern servant
leadership movement was launched by Robert K. Greenleaf in 1970 with the publication of his
classic essay, The Servant as Leader. It was in that essay that he coined the words "servant-
leader" and "servant leadership." Greenleaf defined the servant-leader as follows:

"The servant-leader is servant first... It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to
serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different
from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or
to acquire material possessions...The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types.
Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature."

"The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other
people's highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do
those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more
autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least
privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?"

Robert Greenleaf's concept of the servant-leader was stimulated by his reading of Journey to the
East by Herman Hesse. It is the story of a group of travelers who were served by Leo, who did
their menial chores and lifted them with his spirit and song. All went well until Leo disappeared
one day. The travelers fell into disarray and could go no farther. The journey was over. Years
later, one of the travelers saw Leo again—as the revered head of the Order that sponsored the
journey. Leo, who had been their servant, was the titular head of the Order, a great and noble
leader.

In The Servant as Leader, Greenleaf said: ...this story clearly says—the great leader is seen as
servant first, and that simple fact is the key to his greatness. Leo was actually the leader all of the
time, but he was servant first because that was what he was, deep down inside. Leadership was
bestowed upon a man who was by nature a servant. It was something given, or assumed, that
could be taken away. His servant nature was the real man, not bestowed, not assumed, and not to
be taken away. He was servant first.

If there is a single characteristic of the servant-leader that stands out in Greenleaf's essay, it is
the desire to serve. A walk through The Servant as Leader provides a fairly long list of
additional characteristics that Greenleaf considered important. They include listening and
understanding; acceptance and empathy; foresight; awareness and perception; persuasion;
conceptualization; self-healing; and rebuilding community. Greenleaf describes servant-leaders
as people who initiate action, are goal- oriented, are dreamers of great dreams, are good
communicators, are able to withdraw and re-orient themselves, and are dependable, trusted,
creative, intuitive, and are most unique to servant leadership compared with other theories are:
the moral component, not only in terms of the personal morality and integrity of the servant-
leader, but also in terms of the way in which a servant-leader encourages enhanced moral
reasoning among his or her situational.

(1) Greenleaf described a philosophy, not a theory. However, based on the views of a
number of scholars, the elements that followers, who can therefore test the moral basis of the
servant-leader's visions and organizational goals;
(2) the focus on serving followers for their own good, not just the good of the organization,
and forming long-term relationships with followers, encouraging their growth and development
so that over time they may reach their fullest potential;
(3) concern with the success of all stakeholders, broadly defined—employees, customers,
business partners, communities, and society as a whole—including those who are the least
privileged; and
(4) self-reflection, as a counter to the leader's hubris.

Source: http://toservefirst.com/definition-of-servant-leadership.html

Source:
http://thorstenconsulting.com/serendipity/uploads/servantleadershipthorstenconsulting.j
pg
SERVANT LEADERSHIP

Servant leadership is not about “I”, nor is it about “we”. It is about “THEM”.

Journal Output : Reflections on Leadership and

Membership

In your journal write on any one or a combination of the following:

1. A leader that fits in the description “servant leader.”
2. An organization that has a ‘servant leader.’
3. The key points of the article.
4. Your comments/reactions about the article.
5. The part of the article that has an impact to you.
6. A story that would support or negate the points of the article.

PROGRESS CHECK:
Directions: On your journal classify the different kinds of words according to their
importance in different way of personal and social relationship.

SUMMARY:
 Middle adolescence is also a difficult time for parents or adults who are raising
children within this age group.
 The concept of relationship is very broad and complex . In our model, personal
relationships refer to close connections between people , formed by emotional bonds and
interactions.
 Good relationship improve in all aspects of your life , strengthening your health, your
mind and your connections with others.
 The happiest , most satisfying relationships rest on a foundation of implicit trust.
 All children develop differently depending on their temperament, personality and
rearing.
 Late adolescence development represents the final stage of physical and emotional
growth as children pass into adulthood.