ESS221 Schools and Society

TOPIC 2 SCHOOLS AND SOCIALIZATION

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

1. Explain the meaning of socialization and the dimensions of socialization;

2. Cite examples of socialization inside and outside the classroom;
3. Explain the characteristics of socialization inside the classroom and
outside the classroom;
4. Suggest activities that can encourage socialization in and outside the
classroom;
5. Differentiate a dominative and an integrative teacher.

Key words: socialization, behavior conformity, moral conformity, cultural

conformity, elite school, classroom culture, hidden curriculum, friendship,
gender, classroom size, outside classroom, playground, dominative behavior,
integrative behavior

INTRODUCTION

In chapter 1 you were introduced to the sociological aspects of education, its

importance to society and the processes of education in schools. In this module
we will further examine the processes of education in terms of its socialization
aspects.

2.1 Socialization in Comparative and Historical Perspective

What do we mean by socialization?

Socialization is the instilling of the language, values, rules and knowledge of
the culture in which you are born. During this process, we learn who we are,
and we form a social identity. Since society deems its importance, therefore,
socialization has become an important part of the schooling system and an
integral part of our life course.

We are taught to socialize at every stage of our life course, we learn new
knowledge and social skills appropriate for our age group. Whatever we
acquire at one stage becomes the foundation for the socialization of the next
stage. For example, at the primary school level, for example, we learn reading,
writing and mathematics and these became the foundation for introducing
other more difficult and complex subjects. Similarly, at this stage of the child’s

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life he learns the primary socialization; basic knowledge and values of his
society. In other words, the socialization that evolves around his family. As he
grows older, he learns the secondary socialization; synthesis, creativity, logic,
emotional control and advanced knowledge. Thus, secondary socialization
extends beyond his family to include institutions, groups and organisations and
prepares him for the outside world.

Activity 2.1
What do you understand by socialization?

Dimensions of socialization
In order to understand socialization, we need to understand the various aspects
that constitute socialization. The first aspect or dimension of socialization is
behavior conformity. If a student conformed to the rules and procedures in a
school, then we label the student as being “good.” For example, in schools we
have rules to govern students’ behaviour during the classroom lessons.
Students know that they have to raise their hands if they need to ask or answer
the teacher. If students do not comply with this expected behavior then it is the
duty of the teacher to use her power to socialize the students to conform to the
required behavior.

Similarly, socialization trained students to conform to moral behavior (moral

conformity) that are perceived as the “correct action.” Students are instilled
with moral behavior such as honesty, generosity, fairness, kindness and hard
work. In the Malaysian school curriculum, subjects such as moral and religious
subjects are taught to instil these moral behaviors.

Finally, socialization trained students for cultural conformity or acculturation.

What do you mean by cultural conformity? It means that members of a society
incorporate norms and values from other cultures into their own. The process
of cultural conformity happens through intercultural contact and the borrowing
or imitation of cultural norms. For example, English Language became the
second language in Malaysia due to earlier British colonization. Cultural
conformity may also mean acquiring approved styles and outlooks. For
example, we tend to approve students who are academically inclined rather
than those who are less inclined. This could be due to our society placing
higher emphasis on those who excel in the national examinations. Thus, the
child grows up to fit into his society.

The three types of conformity are emphasised in our schools but it is unlikely
schools will be able to successfully instil the three types. For example, in the

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military academy or college, there is a higher emphasis on behaviour

conformity where students are required to obey military rules and regulations.
Similarly, we find that in religious schools there is a higher emphasis on moral
conformity where the students are expected to conform to “good behaviour.”
Thus, schools need to ensure that they implement a certain minimum level of
each of the three types of conformity. In addition, schools need to be aware
that socialization does change over time, especially in terms of the messages
and the techniques used. This is seen when we compare the life styles of
children in the 40s and 50s with those of today.

Let us now compare the socialization changes seen in the school system as the
culture of the society surrounding it transforms.
 At the beginning, the village or community activities had a slow and laid-
back life style with less emphasis on the three dimensions of socialization.

This style of schooling is still prevalent among underdeveloped countries in the

world; emphasising family and village cultures. Classroom environments are
conducted in informal settings and schools do not stressed on school
attendance, classroom attentiveness and academic performance. Teachers too
are least committed in their daily teachings. This scenario is clearly seen in a
report by Nancy Hornberger in 1987 when she visited schools in rural Peru.

Over the seven day period, out of 50.5 hours spent at school by the
children… 30.5 hours were [spent out of the classroom] as follows:
16.5 hours in recreation periods, 4.5 hours in sports competitions,
3.5 hours waiting during adult meetings, 3.5 hours in which teachers
were absent during school, and 2.5 hours in line-up activities” (p.211).

A portion of the class time was allocated for cleaning up the classroom.

 Later, when countries became industrialized, the pattern of socialization

changed with very high focus on behavioural training and moral
conformity. As industries depend on export and import and international
trade, cultural conformity sets in to accommodate the need to socialize with
the world.

This was the setting during the nineteenth-century schools where children were
taught virtues that reflect moral traditions; truthfulness, politesse, broad-
mindedness, love of goodness, and compassion, work ethic of industry;
endeavour, planning, and prudence, and patriotism; courageousness in battle,
love of independence, respect for the rule of law and the Constitution and

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responsible participation in the institutions of political society. These waves of

social changes had an impact on the social objectives and practices of schools
throughout the world.

 As industries expand, organization becomes bureaucratic in nature with

rules and routines to control the daily activities. Thus, there is less emphasis
on moral conformity. During this period, schools tried to exposed students
to the bureaucratic organization and mass consumption of the industrialized
world.

When countries developed into industries and became capitalist, bureaucracy

sets in. With this transformation, schools in United States and later in Europe
and the rest of the industrialised world began preparing students for jobs in
bureaucracies and consumer-oriented life style of choice and variety. In this
new school system, authoritarian methods were no longer the favoured
structural forms of control but instead schools became the place for active
exploration and learning. Teachers are now responsible to equip their students
with mental abilities instead of the previous focus on character building.
Aspects of cognitive development became the niche areas of most school
curriculum, multiethnic awareness among its population has lead schools to be
more sensitive on moral topics, subject matters such as engineering and
technical were seen fit to prepare students for the industries that were booming
during that time.

 With increase in industries, the elite few emerged as the upper class within
a society to form its own pattern of socialization, with differences in their
outlook compared to the rest. Examples of elite schools in Malaysia are
those run privately such as Sri Inai, Cempaka, and International School and
in U.K. is the famous Eton school.

Activity 2.2
Explain behavior conformity, moral conformity, and cultural conformity.

Characteristics of elite schools

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The fees in these schools are expensive and thus, only the wealthier families
can afford to enrol their children in these schools. The children bring to classes
their refined manner which can be a model to fellow classmates. On the other
hand, these children may express aloof attitude towards those who they
perceived as lower in social status and may only want to socialize with peers of
the same social background.

Socialization in elite schools may also reflect the types of activities these group
of community practices. Most of these privately run schools were founded by
the wealthy members of the society to cater for their children. For example, in
Malaysia we have the Malay College Kuala Kangsar which was set up to cater
for the children from the royal families as well as the wealthy Malay society.
Similarly, the private day and boarding schools in United States and England
were meant for prominent families, where their children were distanced from
the normal children in the society. These schools inculcate values and
expectations of the society into their curriculum to prepare the children for
future leadership and administrative roles in the society. For example, in
United States these schools were set up in rural New England where the
curriculum focus on high level of self control, multitasking activities, instil
knowledge that can be used in the future, and groom them to the privileges and
power of high social status (Brint, 1998).

In England, the public schools were situated outside of London and the
curriculum were designed to meet the demands of colonial administration
during the British Empire; emphasising on physical fitness to groom for the
battlefield. To cater for the elite English society, the famous Eton public school
had curriculum to groom the English aristocracy (McConnell, 1985), while
Choate, Phillips-Andover, Groton, and Lawrenceville prepare students to enter
elite colleges. In addition, the British Empire was eager to spread the Christian
faith in all the colonised countries thus, the religious aspects was incorporated
into their school curriculum.

Similarly, in other European countries for example Germany, with its

bildungsbergertum values to cater for the upper middle class society, while in
France, grandes ecoles became part of the school system; transforming young
Frenchmen into military, industrial, and administrative statesmen.

With every change in socialization we will also see a change in the school
curriculum. However, we have to be couscous as these changes cannot be

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generalized to all society. For example, in Japan, they believed that children go
through two stages in their childhood, that is, the years of innocence and the
years of responsibility. In the early years, the child goes through a period of
experimenting things around him, requiring adults to provide unconditional
support. The children lead a less disciplined life at this stage but as they grow
older a highly discipline life style sets in.

Socialization also differs in the primary and secondary schools. At the primary
school level, teachers tend to be more personal in their approach to the young
children compared to secondary school teachers. However, at the secondary
schools teachers are more specialised in their course of duty to cater to the
demands of more matured students and expectations of society.

Similarly, we may find that certain schools may want to practise certain
elements of socialization that only prevails in their schools. For example, in
south of France a village school allows a child who is favoured by teachers to
move around the school and into classes where each teacher will give her a
hug. However, not all students will have this privilege as teachers have
different expectations for every child. The teachers do spend time on those
children who are not doing too well in school. Parents on the other hand, insist
that schools set strict discipline in the classes and even encouraged punishment
wherever necessary.

Besides the environment of the school, the local economy or socio-economic

status of the parents that have children in the school may create variations in
the socialization of the children. For example, in the United States we find that
majority of people from the middle and upper middle class are prone towards
bureaucracy. While the elite style of socialisation is still predominant among
the private and boarding schools. On the other hand, the poorest part of the
country, among Hispanic and immigrant communities, we find that they still
practice the village or communal pattern of socialization.

In industrialized society, the behavioral conformity prevails where children are

monitored and are expected to conform to rules and regulations. In such an
environment the schools focused more on rote memorisation where children
are assigned to task that are not challenging and undemanding.

Parents on the other hand have different perceptions of schooling due to their
class socialization. For example, upper-middle-class parents believed that
schools should focus more on self-directed and creative schoolwork. On the

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other hand, working class parents stressed on tough discipline and strict
monitoring under the supervision of the teacher.

As we can see, school socialisation environment prevails in all communities

throughout the world. However, these countries may not have similar pattern
of socialization but the schools will fall under one of the three dimensions of
socialization.

Thus, patterns of socialization in a country are not static but tend to change
with time. As have been mentioned earlier, countries started with free-flowing
village pattern of socialisation. When countries moved into the
industrialization era, schools tend to focus more on behavioral control and
moral conformity. Again, we also see the change when huge industries were
built to cater for the demand in jobs. Today, we see societies with higher socio-
economic status moved from industrial to bureaucratic and this again has made
schools shift their pattern of socialization to fit into the demand of the outside
world.

Activity 2.3
Describe the characteristics of elite schools

2.2 Socialization Inside the Classroom

Malaysian schools: classroom

One of the functions of schooling is socialization. As we have learned earlier

in this topic, schools tend to tailor their curriculum inline with society
expectations of what the younger generation should be taught. Let us enter the
school and peep into the classrooms to observe the culture within it.

Classroom Culture
As we all know classrooms are filled with children. Jackson (1968, p. 10)
termed it as “one teacher-many students” where these students are placed
within a close proximity (classroom) and the teacher (a central figure) is in-

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charge to maintain control through discipline techniques. In order to

understand the dynamics of classroom socialization you have to understand
and recognise the importance of the classroom environment.

The culture of the classroom comprised routines imposed by teachers onto the
students. These routines are school and classroom rules and regulations made
to maintain control and discipline the students in the classrooms, and to
channel the desired behaviour, belief and orientations set by the school.
Students are free to interact within the boundaries of these rules but when they
act beyond the accepted behaviours such as hurting other students, disrupting
lessons, cheating during test or exams, and the like, these school rules define
the seriousness of the offence and set the punishment for the offender. As such
we can say that rules are part of the bureaucratic system in school which
decide the do’s and don’t.

The socialising rules in schools differ by society. For example, in the United
States there is higher emphasis on rules at the elementary level and once
students internalised them it becomes less as they proceed through high school.
This practice is common among developed countries. However, rules may
differ in terms of culture. In Japan, even though it is a developed nation, there
is high emphasis on moral behaviour throughout the primary and secondary
schooling. On the other hand, in developing countries, rules are heavily
embedded in the primary and secondary school system. These embedded
routines are not part of the formal curriculum but rather informally or better
known as the hidden curriculum.

Activity 2.4
What are the aspects in classroom culture?

So what is this hidden curriculum?

The hidden curriculum is found in the major process in the classroom which is
the interactions or socialization. This process may include daily features such
as queuing, doing class exercise independently, following instructions made by
the teacher, doing group work and keeping the classroom clean and neat. At
times it could be through messages conveyed verbal or nonverbal made by
teachers such as expectations, attitudes towards others and power relations.
These interactions may occur between teacher-student and students-students.

What are the types of interactions in the classroom?

1. The interactions that occur within the classroom environment will have
to depend on the teacher styles. As we know the teacher-student interactions

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and student-student interactions create the atmosphere of the classroom. Let us

take a look at the interactions that goes on during a class lesson. There may be
around a few hundred interactions taking place in a 40 minute class lesson.
These interactions may be in spoken form and also those that are unspoken;
facial expressions, tone, gesture and physical movements. All these silent
language create the atmosphere in the classroom.

2. According to Bernstein (1996), a sociologist, these classroom

interactions have their own “code” which sets the classroom rules, practices
and these determine the power of relationships between teachers and students.
These codes may also include the curriculum and pedagogy. Curriculum refers
to the structured knowledge whereas pedagogy is the method of transmission
of the structured knowledge.

3. During the interaction between the teacher (transmitter) and the

students (acquirer), knowledge is transmitted via the teaching methods used by
the teacher. Thus, the teacher has control over how knowledge is to be
transmitted; the teaching materials, the skills to be incorporated, how much
information to be conveyed and received (Bernstein, 1990). For example,
Kalekin-Fishman (1991) found “noise” patterns in kindergartens in Germany
and Israel to be the result of the goals and structure of the classrooms. Teachers
who practiced an authoritarian teaching style tend to control noise in the
classroom where students can only speak when permitted to do so. This style
fits well for children from the working class status. On the other hand, if
teachers perceived themselves as facilitators they tend to allow students more
freedom to speak and have less control over them. Thus, different approaches
to handling students have different effect on the classroom interactions and this
in turn creates the socialization within the class.

2. Besides teacher-students interaction another form of interaction that

creates the atmosphere in the classroom is the student-student socialization. So
how does this student-student socialization developed? One of the norms of the
traditional classroom culture is that the teacher imposed a structured seating
arrangements in the class, thus, students have no choice but to seat according
to the seating assigned. Students then start to get to know those seated around
them. Slowly they “hang out” together in the school canteen and after school
and friendship developed from here. This friendship becomes an important part
of their informal learning experience.

Activity 2.5
Explain the importance of hidden curriculum.

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Frienship

Friendship

Student friendship socialization differs in terms of classroom setting, whether

the classroom is structured in a traditional way or an open manner. According
to a study, a classroom that practices a democratic setting will develop the
affective or emotional development of students (Grubaugh & Houston, 1990).
A classroom with affective setting will further increase interactions and shared
activities, a greater chance for every student to be popular, and this helps to
increase opportunity to be good at something. Open classrooms further
encourage more and longer lasting friendships. When we compare open
classroom with traditional classroom we found that students in the open classes
tend to have fewer best friends but more general friendships. On the other
hand, in the traditional classroom students have the opportunity to make
friends who are seated near them.

When does friendship begin?

Friendship begins in preschool years. This is children first encounter with the
outside world. The preschool years are filled with play and informal learning
where there is plenty of opportunity to make friends. Socialization begins here
and develops as they go through childhood. A child who is able to interact with
peers will tend to be popular. This further helps the socio-emotional growth of
the child.

This socialization skill is an important tool as the child grows into adolescent.
It is at this stage that the adolescent sees friendship as an important part of their
teenage life style. They perceived social peers and close friends as someone to
whom they can associate with, as a source of mutual intimacy, as a place for
self-closure and to seek advice, and sense of belonging. As such adolescents
tend to place friends above their parents, as they assumed that loyalty and

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commitment are important aspects of friendship. Thus, socialisation plays an

important role in creating friendship in the classroom.

Activity 2.6
Is friendship important in a child’s life? Explain

Do gender influence the way students socialise?

Yes, according to a study there are clear differences in the way male and
female students socialize. In a study by Corsaro and Eder (1990), it was
reported that girls tend to have close friends and are more open as they share
their secrets and problems with each other. On the other hand, the boys are
unlikely to have close friends but they tend to associate with each other in
terms of common interest, especially in sports. It is interesting to note that
because of these differences in the way they socialize, boys are likely to be
popular because of their athletic capability, hardiness, aloofness, and
competent in cross-gender relations. However, the girls become popular based
on their parents’ socioeconomic status, their physical looks, social skills, and
school performance (Adler, Kless & Adler, 1992). In addition, girls who are
popular tend not to socialize with those from the lower status. Boys on the
other hand tend to adopt an insensitive and aggressive attitude to cope with the
pressure for success (Edler et al., 1995).

What other factors may contribute to students’ pattern of socialization?

1. The organizational structure of the school can play a part in the
socialization pattern among the students. For example, streaming students
according to their academic ability may restrict students to socialize with
students who may not have the same academic level. Similarly, grouping
students on the basis of their ethnic group may hinder them from socializing
with those from other ethnic groups. Segregating students in this manner will
not allow them to understand nor provide the opportunity for them to socialise
with various races that are found in a multiracial society like Malaysia.
Interracial friendship is important to prepare them for future work
environments. Thus, the teacher should put this aspect of socializing as her
main agenda and create a conducive classroom environment by rearranging
seats and regrouping students every few weeks so as to give them a chance to
socialize with all the students in the class.

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Sittings in the classroom

2. Another aspect of the classroom that may influence students’

socialization is the seating arrangements and physical conditions in the
classroom and school. As we know most classrooms have a common set up
where the teacher is in front of the classroom and faces the students. This may
be advantage to the teacher as she holds a strategic position in front of the
classroom and is able to monitor the students’ activities. If there is disruption
during the lesson then the teacher should rearrange the seating to avoid further
disturbance.

3. Students’ seating position may also encourage a pattern in their

socializing manner. Students who are seated in the first two rows in front have
the advantage to participate more compared to those seating at the back of the
classroom. Because they are seated in front, they are noticed by the teacher as
well as their peers. Studies have shown that teachers tend to be permissive
towards those in the first row and imposed fewer formal directives. At the
college or university level, students in the front rows tend to be brighter and
more interested to get better results, like the lecturer better, as these students
can see and hear better. This in turn makes the students more involved in the
learning process. On the other hand, we can find students who are particular in
choosing their seats in class because of the need for privacy or even select a
seat away from the teachers’ focus area.

Size of classrooms

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4. Size of classroom also determines children’s socialization pattern. If

the number of students in the classroom is smaller this will mean the teacher
will impose less control, less time on discipline, and there will be more time
for interaction and communication between the teacher and students. Smaller
class size means lesser students per teacher and this allows for positive
classroom climates. There is also the chance for small group interactions.
Thus, students have the opportunity to participate actively in school life and
this may lead to more informal interactions with teachers and administrators.
In contrast, schools with large enrolment may create a distance between
teachers and students, leading to less socialization. Opportunity for students’
participation and interaction with teachers may be minimal.

Activity 2.7
There are four factors that contribute to students’ pattern of socialization.
Explain each of the factor’s contribution.

How do we engage students to socialize in the classroom?

If we see the classroom as a place for children to socialize then we should
allow them to have a voice in certain matters that concerned them. For
example,
a. students should be involved in making their own classroom rules.
b. classroom duties should be regularly changed through criticism and
discussion at class meetings.
c. responsibility towards the welfare of the students in the classroom
should be shared by everyone, not only confined to the teachers,
prefects and class monitor.
d. teachers should not be directly involved nor have too much control over
the running of activities in the classroom, more opportunities should be
given to the students to learn to organise and view their opinions. The
students offer their services, example, be in charge of the field trip or to
accept a particular responsibility.
e. there should be closer relations between the students in the classroom
irrespective of age, ethnic and academic performance.
f. encourage students to tell their experience in life, in school and out of
class that may be related to their school work.
g. instil in students to show their appreciation of the work of others in
their group.

Thus, we should allow a gradual process of socializing where we train the

students in the ways of the adult society by gradually allowing them more and

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more independence; they should learn and experience more freedom and
responsibility as they grow up. As John Dewey said: “The only way to prepare
for social life is to engage in social life” and the classroom is the place to do
so.

What theorists have to say about socializing

Let us now examined what theorists have to say about socialization in the
classroom. Functional theorists argue that the socialization of the classroom is
important as it prepares children for societal roles. This socialization begins in
primary school and extends into secondary. Within this socialization, children
learn obedience and cooperation, what is expected of them, and their
cooperation on all these aspects helps to run the school system. How well
children socialized into these aspects and how well they cooperate with the
adults in the school becomes the criteria for “selection” of students.

Conflict theorists on the other hand see a conflict between school staff who are
the dominant adults in the school and students who are being controlled,
coerced, and co-opted through various ways. This conflict has been described
as “war” between the two over requirements. Teachers are the ones who set up
the time table, initiate exchanges, and set the rules in the classroom. As such
the daily routines and rituals in the school reflect the dominant culture
practiced that the children will be taught. How children socialize in this
classroom will depend on how dominant the teacher is and the culture that she
instilled in the children.

Interactionist theorists believed that each student view the classroom

differently; how he views the world of the classroom and responds to it. How
the child views will again depend on his cultural background and this will also
depends on the degree of conflict between the teacher and the child. For
example, students may be labelled as “lions, elephants and buffaloes.” These
labels will leave an impact on the emotions of the child where the child will act
according to the labels given; a self-fulfilling prophecy sets in. Children who
are labelled as “lions” may perceive it positive compared to the other two
labels. Teachers too may show more positive interaction towards those label as
“lions” whereas the rest may received less attention. These different
perceptions by teachers on students are correlated with the students’ social
class where we see those labelled as “lions” come from higher class compared
to the other two labels. Thus, teachers tend to pay more attention to this group
of students where they received more interactions with teachers. On the other
hand the other two groups may perceived teachers to socialize less with them.

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Activity 2.8
How does the functional, conflict, and interactional theory explains students’
socialization in the classroom?

2.3 Socialization Outside the Classroom

Outside the classroom

Earlier, we discussed socialization in the classroom. However, socialization

does not only occur within the four walls of the classroom. Students do interact
with other students throughout the school hours, for example, at the
playground and performing duties outside the classroom. Even though the time
they spent outside the classroom is less compared to the hours they spent in the
classroom, we should not ignore the fact that there are interactions and
socialization do happen.

The school playground

School playground

The school playground is an important place for students to socialise. It

represents the informal setting for friendship. What happens outside the
classroom helps to prepare students for the adult world as it is here that they
learn about self-esteem and self-control among peers. Most schools ensure that
students leave the classrooms during recess time and this allows them to
socialize with other students.

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Why is the school playground important to children’s socialization?

When students are out on the school playground they are distance from adults.
Most of the time they are on their own and even if there are adults, these adults
are in the background, in the form of monitoring. If they are around then it is to
keep students out of mischief. When adults stay away then there is opportunity
for children to perform group-directed activity. They also feel at ease to mix
around and chose who they want to play with without being observed by an
adult. Most of the time, the children choose to play with children similar to
their age group, not necessarily their neighbours or relatives. Interacting with
peers reduces social distance between children. However, if they interact with
children of children of various age groups then this allows an opportunity for
getting to know, develop new relationships and breaking relationships. The
various social interactions enable children to develop an understanding of
what, how and problems of social relationships.

Therefore, children who lack experiences in socializing outside the classroom

may be less prepared for adult life. What goes on at the playground are
basically lessons on how to socialize; make friends and they learn to handle
bullies, false friends, snobs, tag-alongs, tattletales and other childhood types.
They will be learning how to react to different types of behaviour and this
helps them in their judgment of others. For example,
 how do I deal with aggressiveness,
 when do I report a friend’s misbehave,
 is giving in means I’m being bullied,
 how much personal information should I reveal,
 what is the effective way to make friends, and
 when should I speak and when should I listen.

If children are confronted by such issues then they may become skilful at
handling relationships later in their adult life. Thus, sociologists see the
experiences outside the classroom as an important socialization agent in
addition to the limited interactions within the classroom.

What types of socialisation occurs at the school playground?

There could be some inequality differences between indoor and outdoor
socializing among boys and girls. For example, during primary school, boys
are found to be energetic and tend to control large open play spaces and invade
places where groups of girls play. Thus, playground provide a platform for

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socialising that may be in the form of gender-related aggressiveness; a place

where children make new friends and even breaking friendships, a place where
children learn to use abusive language to defend themselves against bullies,
and a place where children may try out new identities.

Activity 2.9
What benefits do playground contribute to children’s socialization?

Duties outside the classroom

Schools do plan duties outside the classroom such as prefects carry out duties
during recess where they are in-charge of various sections of the school
ground; perform duties for the whole school community wider than just their
own classroom. These routine duties may cover the simplest form such as
ringing the school bell at the beginning and end of school and waiting at the
school gate to close it when the school bell rings at 7.40 in the morning and
open it at 2.00 in the afternoon when school ends. Responsibilities for more
difficulty duties which may be appointed to students at the higher levels,
example, managing the school book store, care of the bicycle shed, duties at
the library and the laboratories. Carrying out these duties will involve
interactions and at the same time students learn to be responsible people. The
responsibility towards other students in the school is the highest of all and is
given to the prefects. In addition, there are other duties such as being captains
of houses, games, sports and athletics in their groups and team.

Now that we know socializing is an important part of children’s development,

we as teachers need to examine our behaviour towards our students. Do we
have dominative or integrative behaviour?

Dominative behaviour refers to autocratic way in handling students where the

teacher dominates and controls students’ behaviour. Teachers who are
domineering tend to have these characteristics:
 usually thinks she knows best,

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 ensures that students behave in her way without any respect for students’
experience, desires or criticism,
 make decisions on her own without allowing the students to participate on
matters that may concerned them,
 tend to apply the technique of threats and blame,
 gives vital commands and orders on what should be done, and
 behaves aggressively when students resist her orders.

With such characteristics the dominative teacher tends to create conflict,

incites aggressive, overt or hidden in respond to students enquiries.

On the other hand, an integrative teacher has the following characteristics:

 can work with students instead of against them,
 appreciates the value of student’s knowledge and experience,
 willing to co-operate and adapt her objectives to fit those of her students,
 ask for opinions from students wherever possible on matters which concern
them,
 recognise and is generous with praise for good ideas,
 is able to share responsibility with her students,
 does not believe in blame,
 makes requests rather than gives orders, and
 able to tolerate disagreement with students.

The integrative teacher is thus flexible, permissive, and adaptive in nature. She
believes in students’ participation, encourages initiative and as a teacher is able
to co-ordinate the students’ work and create a happy and conducive
atmosphere among students in her class.

As such, these two types of behaviour may to a certain extent influence the
students’ socialization in the classroom. Therefore, teachers must be aware that
they have to create a happy and harmonious atmosphere in the class to ensure
students are given the opportunity to socialize and develop their social skills.

Activity 2.10
What is the difference between a dominative teacher and an interactive
teacher?

2.4 Perspectives across Asian Schools

After the World War II, the Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia,
Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines which were previously colonised were

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pursuing not only their political freedom but also economic and social
prosperity. Thailand which managed to avoid being colonized joined the other
Southeast Asian neighbours in pursing their dreams.

In order to develop their countries, they proposed a five-year or eight-year

national development program to ensure a systematic and progressive national
growth. Included in this program is the educational component which sets to
achieve the objectives of the political, economic and social-welfare aspects.

The first task the government need to focus on was the economic aspect. In
order to achieve this, the economists predict the types and number of man
power needed to handle the country’s economic growth for future years. To
help achieve this, schools and educational agencies need to train and produce
students in line with the nation vision. Therefore, schools need to know which
workers should be trained for what skill and which program will cater for the
type of skill needed. This is not an easy task and the only Asian country that is
able to effectively achieve this is Singapore.

The next assignment for the school is to nurture citizenship in the students.
Therefore, the school’s task is to arm the students with common
communication skills, such as a national language. This will mean looking at
the school curriculum. In Malaysia, schools were required to use the Malay
language as the medium of instruction. Similarly, schools in Indonesia used the
national Indonesian language. In the Philippines it was the national language,
Pilipino. In Thailand it was the Thai language. Whereas in Singapore, a
multicultural society, emphasised students to master two languages, English
and one other language.

Besides implementing a national language as the medium of instructions in

schools to help develop “good” citizens in the children, schools had also to
devise a nationalistic-focused social studies curricula. Children were taught
history, focusing on battle victories, cultural contributions, and glories of
ancient empires that conquered land the country now stands. In addition, the
schools need to instil a strong sense of loyalty to the ruling government,
instead of a particular ethnic, religious or social class of the society.

These two aspects, manpower production and citizenship were found to be the
vital factors in developing the nations. Both factors were perceived as
requirements to obtained jobs in the new economy.

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The last aspect that the Asian countries focused on was social welfare. This
could be categorised under universal welfare, subgroup welfare, and personal
welfare. To instil universal welfare schools implemented health and safety
practices as they wanted the children to be energetic and free from diseases and
injuries. Next, in order for schools to serve subgroup welfare, they had to focus
on teaching regional language’s literature that emphasised cultural traditions
and history as well as the arts of the ethnic region. In addition, each ASEAN
country allows children to pursue religious studies based on their family’s
faith. Finally, schools serve individual welfare by allowing more opportunities
for students to choose their field of interest and skills. This is done by
introducing educational and vocational guidance to help students plan for their
future. In addition, students are exposed to varied curriculum choices. As for
the handicap and gifted children, special schooling was introduced to cater to
their needs.

The national development plan was designed to include all the three
components discussed above and this could be done through the schooling
system in each of the ASEAN country. Thus, there should be similar interest
between what the people desire and what the country needs in terms of
manpower and political unity. However, till today, none of the ASEAN
country’s effort could achieve this national development plan fully. This is
because there is always some degree of mismatch.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

This chapter introduced you to the meaning of socialization in the classroom

and outside the classroom. We learnt that:
1. Socialization in school focused on:
 Dimensions of socialization in the school context; behaviour, moral, and
cultural conformity.
 Compare the socialization patterns that changes within the various contexts;
starting from the village/community, industrialized, and bureaucratic.
 Socialization has an influence on the school curriculum and the curriculum
differs between the primary and secondary schools.
 Socialization happens in and outside the classroom; the patterns of
socialization differs in each of this context.
 Socialization is also affected by teacher’s behavior.

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SELF-CHECK

1. Which social context has influenced you most, inside or outside the
classroom? Why?
2. How much of our human characteristics comes from “nature” (heredity) and
how much from “nurture” (the social environment)?
3. Describe the agents of socialization discussed in this chapter in terms of the
special contributions that each makes to the socialization of the young.

PROJECTS

1. Select a teacher in your school who is popular with the students, and try to
learn why. What she or he did that students like?
2. Observe and analyse the roles students play in primary and secondary
school classrooms. Describe the ways that these roles have influenced the
behavior of these students.
3. Make a case study of a boy or girl who is having difficulty in a classroom.
Carefully record everything the teacher does to help this student.

REFERENCES

Bernstein, B. (1990). Class, codes and control. Vol. 4. The structuring of

pedagogic discourse. London: Routledge.

Brint, S. (1998). Schools and societies. Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge Press.

Kalekin-Fishman, D. (1991). Latent messages: The acoustical environments of

kindergartens in Israel and West Germany. Sociology of Education,
64(3): 209-222.

McConnell, J. (1985). English public schools. London: Herbert.

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