Assignment#8606
Assignment#8606
ENGAGEMENT
(COURSE CODE: 8606)
ASSIGNMENT # 1
By
NIDA AHMAD
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Q#01:
Discuss forms of social interaction and categorize the interactions
which create positive impact on society.
Social interactions are the acts, actions, or practices of two or more
people mutually oriented towards each other's selves, that is, any
behaviour that tries to affect or take account of each other's subjective
experiences or intentions. This means that the parties to the social
interaction must be aware of each other--have each other's self in mind.
This does not mean being in sight of or directly behaving towards each
other. Friends writing letters are socially interacting, as are enemy
generals preparing opposing war plans.
Forms of Social Interaction
1. Verbal Communication: This involves the exchange of spoken or
written language, allowing individuals to share thoughts, ideas, and
information. Verbal communication is a primary form of social
interaction and is essential for building relationships, exchanging
knowledge, and resolving conflicts.
2. Non-Verbal Communication: This encompasses non-verbal cues
such as facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, and gestures.
Non-verbal communication provides additional layers of meaning to our
interactions and plays a significant role in conveying emotions, attitudes,
and intentions.
3. Direct Interaction: This involves face-to-face or person-to-person
communication, allowing for immediate feedback and a more personal
connection. Direct interaction is often preferred for building strong
relationships, resolving sensitive issues, and fostering a sense of
community.
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4. Indirect Interaction: This involves communication through
intermediaries or mediated channels, such as letters, emails, social
media, or technology.
Indirect interaction can be useful for reaching a wider audience,
disseminating information, and maintaining connections with individuals
who are not physically present.
5. Formal Interaction: This follows established rules, protocols, and
structures, often found in professional settings, government institutions,
or formal gatherings. Formal interaction promotes order, clarity, and
adherence to established norms.
6. Informal Interaction: This is characterized by spontaneity,
flexibility, and a lack of strict rules or procedures. Informal interaction is
common in personal relationships, social gatherings, and casual
conversations.
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Educational Interactions: These involve sharing knowledge,
exchanging ideas, and engaging in learning activities. Educational
interactions promote intellectual growth, skill development, and the
dissemination of knowledge.
Creative Interactions: These involve expressing oneself through art,
music, dance, or other creative endeavors. Creative interactions foster
self- expression, emotional release, and cultural enrichment.
Community-Building Interactions: These involve participating in
community activities, volunteering, and engaging with neighbors and
local organizations. Community-building interactions strengthen social
ties, promote civic engagement, and contribute to the overall well-being
of the community.
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Encourage Cooperation and Collective Action: Positive social
interactions facilitate collaboration, problem-solving, and
collective action, enabling communities to address challenges and
achieve common goals.
Stimulate Innovation and Creativity: Positive social interactions
provide a stimulating environment for the exchange of ideas,
leading to innovation, creativity, and cultural enrichment.
Contribute to Economic Development: Positive social
interactions promote trust, cooperation, and social capital, which
are essential for economic growth and development.
Enhance Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility: Positive
social interactions encourage individuals to participate in
community activities, volunteer, and take on social responsibilities,
contributing to a more just and equitable society.
In conclusion, positive social interactions are the foundation of a
thriving society. They contribute to individual well-being, social
cohesion, economic development, and civic engagement. Fostering
positive social interactions is a crucial endeavor for creating a more
harmonious, resilient, and prosperous society.
Promoting Social Interactions
Interacting and playing with peers provides many learning opportunities
for young children. In integrated preschool settings, nondisabled
children and children with disabilities may need to be encouraged to
play together. Social interaction between the two groups of children can
be encouraged in a number of different ways. Suggestions for ways to
use teacher attention and to structure the classroom to promote socially
interactive play are discussed below.
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Teachers and adults can be very effective in promoting social interaction
by encouraging children to play together and by praising them when
they do.
However, it is important to remember that too much adult attention may
interfere with the children’s interactions. It is a good idea, therefore, for
adults to remove themselves from the play situation once children have
begun to play together.
Teachers and other adults also can promote interactions by teaching
children specific ways to ask other children to play, to share toys, to take
turns, to express affection and to help other children. Assisting children
to control their aggressive behavior encourages the formation of
friendships.
Social interaction has to be one of the most important activities that
child can be involved in. It teaches them the rights and wrongs in their
wider community, helps them to build relationships and teaches them
how to cope in group situations.
According to Bryce;
"Social interaction is a two way street.
Make sure you are driving on the right side."
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Q#02:
Explain the concept of Group dynamic and highlight its importance
in a society.
The study of Groups, groups’ structure, groups’ functions and groups’
behavior is simply called group dynamics.
The group dynamics is that division of social psychology that
investigates the formation and change in the structure and functions of
the psychological grouping of people into self-directing wholes.
Concept of Group Dynamics:
The group dynamics refers to changes which take place within groups
and is concerned with the interaction and forces obtained between group
members in social settings. It is a study of forces operating within a
group. A group doesn’t simply mean individuals possessing same
identical features. For instance, a collection of students doesn’t form a
group. These are class. A group is formed when the “Two or More
individuals, interacting and interdependent, who have come together to
achieve particular objectives.”
Importance of Group Dynamics:
Groups are significant in many ways and conduct. Different sort of
considerations are triggered when we analyze the groups. So, the study
of groups becomes more promising and workable when we discuss
groups in different aspects, that are, scientifically, sociologically,
psychologically, practically and personally.
1. Psychological Aspects
Groups are important psychologically, for individuals’ actions, thoughts
and emotions cannot be understood without taking into considerations
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the groups they belong to, and the groups which surround them. Human
behavior is more often than not group behavior, so people can’t be
understood when cut apart from their groups (including their families,
work groups, peers). Groups also have a profound impact on individuals;
group shape actions, thoughts and actions.
2. Scientific Aspects
Scientists study so many aspects of the world, and it is ironic that they
only begun to turn their attention to themselves after they studied things
like rocks, mountains, distant planets and germs. Groups are more
interesting than these natural phenomena, and more complicated. Groups
are also more interesting than individuals: more powerful, more
dynamic, more puzzling, and more challenging to study.
3. Sociological Aspects
The dictionary that defines the society as “an organized system of
individuals as member of a community” is mistaken. A society is more
than individuals; rather society is an organization of groups. Individuals
are recognized by the characteristics of the groups they are comprised
of. Societal forces such as traditions, values and norms don’t reach
directly to the individuals, but instead these work through the groups to
which each individual belongs to.
4. Practical Aspects
Groups are also important for the practical reasons. Much of the world’s
work is done by groups, so by understanding them we move toward
making them more efficient. If we want to improve the productivity in a
factory, problem-solving is a boardroom, or learning in the classroom,
we must understand groups. Groups are the building blocks of society,
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and any attempt to change the society will succeed only if the groups
within the society change.
5. Personal Aspects
Groups are personally important. We spend our entire life surrounded
and embedded in groups. Through membership in groups, we define and
confirm our values and beliefs and take on or refine a social identity.
When we face uncertain situations, in groups we gain reassuring
information about our problems and security in companionship. In
groups, we learn about relations with others, the type of impressions we
make on others, and the way we can relate with others more efficiently
and effectively. Groups influence us in consequential ways, so we ignore
their influence at our own risk.
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d) removing the student from a situation;
e) removing seductive objects; and
f) physical restraint.
C) Appraising Reality techniques involve helping students understand
underlying causes for misbehavior and foresee probable consequences.
Teachers 'tell it like it is', offer encouragement, set limits, and clarify
situations with post – situational follow-up.
D) Rewarding good behavior and punishing bad behavior is an
important characteristics, punishment should be used only as a last resort
because it is too often less productive.
A group creates conditions such as its members will behave in certain
ways because they belong to it; at the same time the manner in which the
parts function affects the whole. In other words, group expectations
strongly influence individual behavior, and individual behavior in turn
affects the group.
Often teachers and class, or the whole school, staff and pupils, “the
group as a whole,” struggle with such problems as severe anxiety, fear
of other attacks, discomfort within the school itself, and diversity of
ethnicity, and language. The enormous psychological power of many
individuals in a group situation may create behavioral reactions that
would not occur in a one-to-one situation.
The group-as-a-whole produces an entirely different personality than
that of the individuals from whom the character emerged. In other
words, the characteristics of the class group are broader and more
encompassing than that of one individual student. “Class as a whole”
issues also lead to role-taking by individual members or role assignment
to members via group pressure.
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For example, if a lesson is boring, some student will invariably
become “time keeper,” letting the teacher know that the class has had
enough, or the “class clown” will distract the lesson with jokes and
funny behavior.
Children’s methods of developing a sense of safety within the class
setting are understandably weak and often regressive. The methods they
use will be determined by ego and superego development, as well as
control over impulsive behavior. This developmental process will
determine how much psychic energy is available to focus on the subject
at hand.
Q#03:
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Explicate the stages of socialization. Discuss how these stages
interlink with an educational setting.
Socialization:
The meaning of the term socialization varies from content to content and
community to community. Therefore some of the definitions are
presented below:
1. Socialization is the process whereby individuals are made aware of
behaviours that are expected of them with regards to the norms, beliefs,
attitudes, and values of the society in which they live.
2. Socialization is the means by which human infants begin to acquire
the skills necessary to perform as a functioning member of their society,
and is the most influential learning process one can experience.
3. Socialization refers to the ways in which people learn to conform to
their society's norms, values, and roles.
4. Socialization is a gradual process of learning. The newborn child is
not taught all the things about social life at once. It proceeds from
simplicity to complexity. During the early stages of life (infancy and
childhood) socialization takes place within the 'simple' limited social
world. Gradually this social world becomes broader and broader and the
child is confronted with several things to learn and to adjust.
Socialization Process
Socialization is the process by which children and adults learn from
others. We begin learning from others during the early days of life; and
most people continue their social learning all through life (unless some
mental or physical disability slows or stops the learning process).
Sometimes the learning is fun, as when we learn a new sport, art or
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musical technique from a friend we like. At other times, learning is
painful, as when we learn not to drive too fast by receiving a large fine
for speeding.
Socialization coupled with valuable information about life and the skills
needed to live well, can be a powerful tool for promoting human
development. We all have an enormous human potential, and we all
could develop a large portion of it if we had the encouragement that
comes from positive socialization and the wisdom that comes from
valuable information about living. Information about both natural and
planned socialization can be especially useful.
The more that we know about the socialization process, the more
effective we can be in directing our future learning in the ways that will
help us most.
Stages of Socialization:
There are four basic stages in the socialization process: childhood,
adolescence, adulthood and age sixty-five and over. During each of
these stages of life, people typically begin to learn and to develop
important and useful skills; these skills continue to evolve, carrying over
and preparing each of us for the next stages of life. Very early on,
organized institutions and specific groups of people help us through
these four stages.
These agents of socialization include family, school, peers, media,
religion and the workplace. Without experiencing the essential stages of
socialization and interacting with the agents of socialization, a person's
growth and opportunity become stunted.
Childhood is the most important stage of socialization. The first thing
that humans go through in life is called primary socialization, in which
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children develop personality, motor skills, reasoning, language and
most importantly, self-concept. A little later in childhood, they are
introduced to roles, values and norms. Primary socialization is the
building block for socialization throughout the rest of one's life. Without
learning and developing these skills early on, a person is not likely to
develop them and therefore, will not have the tools to become an active
member of society. During the childhood stage, the family acts as the
most important agent of socialization.
The family provides a nurturing environment that is instrumental in
normal cognitive, emotional and physical development. Interaction with
one's family allows a person to develop language, to learn and refine
simple motor skills - such as shoe tying and eating - as well as to share
emotional care and understanding. After the child masters some of the
simple life skills, the parents begin to teach the meanings of right and
wrong, obedience and conformity; ultimately, our parents teach and give
us the foundation for the future of our lives.
It becomes clear that without both the childhood development stage and
its accompanying familial involvement, children would be entirely
unprepared to survive alone, to interact with others and to move any
further toward the next stage, adolescence.
Adolescence is the next stage in the socialization process; it continues
the development of childhood lessons while, at the same time, setting us
up for the socialization that will occur during adulthood. During
adolescence, the biggest development is taking on independence from
one's parents. This dramatic change is noted as anticipatory
socialization, during which adolescents learn about and prepare for roles
that they may take on later in life, in the stage of adulthood. Prevalent
examples of anticipatory and adolescent socialization depend on the role
of two agents of socialization, schools and peers.
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One of the most important things - that families try to set their children
up for during the childhood stage - is the social challenges of school.
Beyond teaching general knowledge, schools teach and reinforce
society's culture, values, norms and ideals. For example, although more
freedom of choice has opened up in recent years, girls are generally
swayed toward taking home economics while boys usually gravitate
toward technology or shop. In many middle schools throughout the
country, this reinforced some of the gender norms that were likely
learned during childhood and also, seemed to anticipate that girls would
be housewives while men while went out into the workforce.
Even beyond typical subjects and societal norms, schools teach children
about following rules, obeying authority and finally, they are
instrumental in introducing us to our peers.
Our peers have a big role in the process of socialization, particularly
during the stages of adolescence and early adulthood. It is natural for a
person to search for acceptance; and so, when one finds a group of
people with whom they can identify, they tend to conform to the norms
associated with that group. Conforming is also known as giving in to
peer pressure, which can lead a person to do a number of things to fit in
including, dressing in a certain style, using drugs and participating in
extracurricular activities. While fitting into a desired group may be very
important to the adolescent individual, this may cause conflict with their
family, who helped to shape their personality earlier in life. This, among
other conflicts, exemplifies the difficulties of adolescence, particularly
with Finding.
The third stage in the socialization process is Adulthood. At this stage,
people are likely to be fully prepared for what they will face in life,
given their anticipatory experiences during the previous two stages.
Although anticipatory socialization exists to prepare us for what will
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most likely be our future role in society, we must go one step further and
enter into the "real world." We will most likely get a job forcing us to go
past anticipatory socialization and through professional socialization.
This process prepares us for a job by providing the knowledge and
cultural background to be successful in our respective work
environment.
The workplace is the final ordinal agent of socialization. Most people
spend a large portion of every day at work for many years. People are
socialized by their workplace in different ways depending on their
occupation. For example socialization as a construction worker is much
different from the professional socialization one would encounter as a
businessman. A simple difference can be seen in the dress code of each
job. They are drastically different, with the construction worker wearing
jeans and a t-shirt while the businessman is expected to wear a suit.
The fourth and final stage of socialization is referred to as age sixty-five
and beyond. In our society, many people enter the world of retirement
around the age of sixty-five; entering into retirement can also be called a
role exit or referred to as leaving an important social role. This stage of
socialization is much less important to the individual, as it does not
really set them up for the next stage of their life and in most cases,
retirees take up hobbies just to occupy their time oneself and separating
from one's parents.
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learn social norms, develop their identities, and gain a sense of
belonging.
2) Social Support and Emotional Well-being: Groups provide a
source of social support, offering companionship, empathy, and
a sense of connection, which contributes to emotional well-
being and resilience.
3) Collective Action and Social Change: Groups can mobilize
individuals to engage in collective action, advocating for social
change, influencing policies, and addressing societal challenges.
4) Economic Productivity and Innovation: Groups are the driving
force behind economic productivity and innovation. Effective
teamwork, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas within
groups foster creativity, problem-solving, and technological
advancements.
5) Cultural Transmission and Preservation: Groups play a vital role
in the transmission and preservation of cultural traditions,
values, and practices, ensuring the continuity of cultural
heritage.
6) Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding: Groups can facilitate
conflict resolution and peacebuilding efforts by promoting
understanding, tolerance, and dialogue among diverse groups.
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Q#04:
Describe the broad category of social institutions.
The term social institution encompasses everything from marriage, to
schools,
celebrations, rituals, sports, organized social groups, and various
religions. It is
these institutions that provide opportunities for social interaction and
development
and which frequently regulate our daily lives.
“Social institution are those ways of inter relationship in society which
are eternal
and acknowledge by the society.” (C.L.Wood)
Here is a detailed description of the broad category of social institutions:
Family:
The family is the primary unit of socialization, providing care, nurture,
and education for children. It transmits values, traditions, and cultural
norms across generations.
Economy:
The economic system regulates the production, distribution, and
consumption of goods and services. It encompasses businesses, markets,
and financial institutions that drive economic activity and meet societal
needs.
Government: Government institutions provide political leadership,
enforce laws, and maintain social order. They ensure the protection of
individual rights, the delivery of public services, and the functioning of
society as a whole.
Religion: Religious institutions provide spiritual guidance, moral
teachings, and a sense of community for individuals. They promote
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ethical behavior, foster a sense of purpose, and contribute to cultural
identity.
Media: Media institutions, including news, entertainment, and social
media, provide information, shape public opinion, and influence social
norms and behaviors. They play a crucial role in shaping cultural
discourse and promoting awareness.
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Facilitating Social Change:
Social institutions can act as catalysts for social change, adapting to new
realities and addressing emerging social challenges.
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5. Provide Regular Feedback and Positive Reinforcement: Provide
regular feedback to students on their behavior and academic progress.
Recognize and reinforce positive behaviors, effort, and academic
achievements.
6. Address Disruptive Behaviors Promptly and Effectively: Address
disruptive behaviors promptly and consistently, following established
disciplinary procedures. Use positive behavior intervention strategies to
address recurring behavioral issues.
Common Causes of Classroom Management Difficulties
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behavior interventions and fail to address disruptive behaviors
effectively.
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Seek Support from Administrators: Seek guidance and support from
school administrators when facing persistent classroom management
challenges.
Promote Positive School Culture: Contribute to a positive and
supportive school culture that emphasizes respect, responsibility, and
ethical behavior.
In conclusion, classroom management is an essential aspect of effective
teaching. By implementing clear expectations, establishing positive
relationships, creating a structured learning environment, using engaging
teaching strategies, providing regular feedback, and addressing
disruptive behaviors promptly, teachers can create a classroom
environment that is conducive to learning and growth.
Overcoming classroom management challenges requires ongoing
professional development, collaboration with colleagues, open
communication, strong relationships, and a supportive school culture.
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