Some topics that we will consider in this unit include the following:
- The Self & Personality
- Socialization and Play
- Moral Development During Childhood
- Gender Identity
- Perspectives of Child Development
When thinking about the self and personality ask yourself the following questions:
a) How and when do young children develop a sense of identity?
b) How do personalities develop?
c) What aspects of a child's world influence personality development?
d) How does gender influence development during childhood?
Personality refers to the many aspects of the self. As children socialize, they also learn about themselves. Some factors that influence children's personality development include:
Biology
Temperament
Family
Parenting
Attachment and care giving
Birth order
Economics
Self-concept
Emotional regulation
Social behaviour
Media
Culture
Remember that personality is defined as the behaviors and cognitive processes that people acquire thorough experiences in their social world. Socialization helps us develop self concept, identity, social competencies and what some psychologist call -Emotional intelligence.
Emotional Intelligence: refers to the ability to understand one's emotions, perceive subtle social cues, "read" complex social situations and demonstrate insight about one's as well as other's motivations and goals in any given situation
Also consider Erikson's theory of stages which identifies and looks at change over the lifespan. He shows how each stage contains a crisis that is essential for change. This development is continuous and each stage is followed by another equally important stage. You were given a handout in class that describes each of the stages.
1. Trust vs. Mistrus
2. Autonomy vs. Shame
3. Initiative vs. Guilt
4. Industry vs. Inferiority
5. Identity vs. Role Confusion
6. Intimacy vs. Isolation
7. Generativity vs. Stagnation
8. Integrity vs. Despair
