Peers and the Sociocultural World

1
Chapter 15

• Peers and the Sociocultural World

2
Peer Group Functions
Peer Relations in Childhood and Adolescence

• Peers individuals about the same age or
  maturity level
• Peer groups provide source of information and
  comparison about world outside the family
• Peer influences and evaluations can be negative
  or positive

3
Parent Influences on Peer Relations
Peer Relations in Childhood and Adolescence

• Choice of neighborhoods, churches, schools
• Recommend strategies to handle disputes or become
  less shy
• Encourage children to be tolerant or resist peer
  pressure
• Provide emotional base from which to explore peer
  relations

4
Developmental Changes
Peer Relations in Childhood and Adolescence

• Average time spent with peers
• 10 of time at age 2
• 20 of time at age 4
• 40 of time during ages 7-11

5
Gender and Peer Relations
Peer Relations in Childhood and Adolescence

• Gender composition
• Same-sex groups from age 3
• Group size
• From age 6, boys prefer larger groups
• Interaction in same-sex groups
• Boys organized group games, rough-and-tumble
• Girls collaboration cooperation

6
Social Cognition
Peer Relations in Childhood and Adolescence

• Perspective-taking taking anothers point of
  view
• In elementary school, peer interaction and
  perspective-taking ability increase
• Social Knowledge
• Social Information-Processing Skills

7
Peer Statuses
Peer Relations in Childhood and Adolescence
Frequently nominated as a best friend rarely
disliked by peers
Popular
Receive average number of positive and negative
nominations from peers
Average
Infrequently nominated as a best friend but not
disliked by peers
Neglected
Infrequently nominated as a best friend actively
disliked by peers
Rejected
Frequently nominated as someone's best friend and
as being disliked
Controversial
8
Bullying
Peer Relations in Childhood and Adolescence

• Physical or verbal behavior with harmful intent
• Significant numbers victimized
• Boys and younger middle school students
• Victims of bullies reported more loneliness and
  difficulty in making friends
• Those who did the bullying more likely to have
  low grades, smoke and drink alcohol

9
Bullying Behaviors among U.S. Youth
Peer Relations in Childhood and Adolescence
Fig. 15.2
10
Bullying
Peer Relations in Childhood and Adolescence

• To reduce bullying
• Older peers monitor and intervene
• Develop school-wide rules and sanctions
• Form friendship groups for victims
• Spread anti-bullying message to community
• Parents reinforce and model positive behaviors
• Identify bullies and victims early
• Provide professional help for bully and victim

11
Adolescent Peer Relations
Peer Relations in Childhood and Adolescence

• Peers play powerful roles
• Focus of relations to be liked and included
• Peer pressure and conformity
• Pressure to conform to standards can be
  positive or negative

12
Conformity to Antisocial Peer Standards
Peer Relations in Childhood and Adolescence
Fig. 15.4
13
Cliques
Friendship

• Average 5 to 6 people
• Usually same sex, age
• Formed from shared activities, friendship

14
Six Functions of Friendship
Friendship

• Companionship
• Stimulation
• Physical support
• Ego support
• Social comparison
• Intimacy/affection
• intimacy in friendship self-disclosure and
  sharing of private thoughts

15
Friendship during Childhood
Friendship

• Children use friends as cognitive and social
  resources
• Not all friends and friendships are equal
• Supportive friendships advantageous
• Coercive, conflict-ridden friendships not
• Friends generally similar age, sex, ethnicity,
  and many other factors

16
Strategies for Making Friends
Friendship

• Appropriate
• Initiate interaction
• Be nice
• Behave prosocially
• Show respect
• Give social support

• Inappropriate
• Aggression
• Negative self-presentation
• Antisocial behavior

17
Friendship during Adolescence
Friendship

• Need for intimacy intensifies
• Quality of friendship more strongly linked to
  feelings of well-being
• Important sources of support
• Mixed-age friendships
• Friends are active partners in building a sense
  of identity

18
Developmental Changes in Self-Disclosing
Conversations
Friendship
Fig. 15.6
19
Culture
Sociocultural Influences

• Behavior patterns, beliefs, and all other
  products of a group of people that are passed on
  from generation to generation
• Ethnocentrism tendency to favor ones own group
  over other groups
• Global interdependence is inescapable reality

20
Socioeconomic Variations in Families
Sociocultural Influences

• Higher SES parents
• Develop childrens initiative and delay
  gratification
• Create home atmosphere in which children are more
  nearly equal participants
• Less likely to use physical punishment
• Less directive more conversational with children
• Neighborhood variation affects child development

21
Psychological Ramifications of Poverty
Sociocultural Influences

• Powerlessness
• Vulnerable to disaster
• Alternatives are restricted
• Less prestige
• Lower quality home environments for children

22
Who is Poor?
Sociocultural Influences

• Women feminization of poverty
• 1/3 of single mothers 10 of single fathers
• Families and poverty
• Economic pressure linked with parenting
• Benefits to parents help children
• Poverty, aging, and ethnicity
• 10-12 overall, more among women and ethnic
  minorities

23
Percentage of Youth Under 18 Who are Living in
Distressed Neighborhoods
Sociocultural Influences
Fig. 15.11
24
Immigration
Sociocultural Influences

• High rates contribute to U.S. ethnic diversity
• Special stressors often experienced
• Language barriers
• Separation from support network
• SES changes
• Preserving ethnic identity versus acculturation
• Cultural value conflicts within family