The social growth and development of human beings is largely influenced by the environment they live in. Different social settings exhibit different characteristics which they pass through to generations. Children who are brought up in different family settings would inherit the characteristics of most of the family members they interact with. Both traditional and modern families encompass various traits that children who are brought up in them would acquire and display. This essay will highlight and discuss the various influences and experiences I encountered in my development.
The Most Influential People in My Development
My development was largely influenced by my family. Families serve as vital agents of socialization. Different family units offer different contexts of socialization. A family that focuses on rituals and stories provides higher self-esteem, safeguards the child, and enhances family functioning ( Treas, Scott, & Richards, 2017) . A family system that includes the grandparents provides an additional capacity to help the young ones to grow and develop. Through the vast experiences on the upbringing of children the grandparents possess, they become an integral part in the growth and development of child around them.
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In regards to the modern family systems, recent trends are showing that the traditional nuclear family is on the decline. These trends include an increased number of single-adult households, increased rates of divorce, increased number of working mothers, and a high number of out-of-wedlock births ( Treas, Scott, & Richards, 2017) . Divorce and remarriage adjust the development and lives of both children and adults. Divorce mostly harms children due to the adjustments and additional stresses. Also, the adjustments to marital transitions might affect a child’s psychological well-being in the long run ( Treas, Scott, & Richards, 2017) . The child’s resilience is essential in coping with the changing circumstances.
Verbal Messages
Verbal messages have had a profound impact in my life due to the influence of my sub group. There are several subgroups within a given culture with distinct attitudes, problems, and beliefs. According to Treas, Scott, and Richards (2017) , these divergences lead to a state of power or powerlessness. The latter mostly affected my confidence when growing up. In my residence, the neighborhood was really harsh and mostly the society used non-formal language when for communication. I could not really help because I was very little and powerless to initiate any chance in communication. The way most men in the society used to talk and behave towards ladies really humiliated me. With time, I felt so disadvantaged that the society posed both a big threat to my growth and development. The disadvantages lead to increased threats to physical threats, low academic achievements, and decreased quality of life.
How I Developed My Attitudes
My current attitude towards people and social structures is influenced by family structure. A study of family structures starts by discussing the ecological systems paradigm. The theory views the family as part of an interdependent system. In this sense, the family members affect a child and vice versa ( Treas, Scott, & Richards, 2017) . The routines within families help the child to grow. The marital system is the next point of focus. The view articulates that the interpersonal relationship of couples a significant effect on their children. Through the committed arrangements, children learn how to show emotions and can produce psychological effects. Fathers and mothers have a distinct influence on the child ( Treas, Scott, & Richards, 2017) . While boys tend to externalize problems, girls usually internalize issues. Finally, the marital system states that parents continuously try to adapt to suit the developmental stages of the child and enable effective rearing practices.
The third concept is the parent-child system. The framework focuses on the parents’ socialization and interaction with their children. It states that the influence of a parent on a child is systematic and conscious, and starts at birth ( Nieuwenhuis & Maldonado, 2018) . Through modeling, various social roles are passed and reinforced into the children. This reinforcement acts as a source of reinforcement of a child’s social life and activities. Typically, parenting patterns are based on showing control and displaying emotions. The age of the child affects the reaction to parenting style ( Nieuwenhuis & Maldonado, 2018) . Different parent styles lead to different child outcomes. For instance, a warm, authoritative, and involved style will lead to a child who is cheerful and self-reliant. On the other hand, an uninvolved and self-centered parent will bring up a neglected and insecure child. Basically, the character of children will largely depend on the character of their parents. Another critical framework is the sibling system. It states that families are affected by the number of children, the spacing between births, birth order, and sibling relationships. Typically, the interactions between parents and children are affected by birth order. Most children born with many siblings would not enjoy the full attention and interaction with their parents as compared to those with one or two siblings or even non.
The Effect of My Social World on My Identity
My worldview has led me to different interpretations about social identity. Since my culture is based on exploration, I believe that students should be offered off-campus experiences. Such an experience provides children with useful benefits including the space to learn a new culture and gathers more experience, the ability to be independent and solve problems by themselves, and helps students to prepare for their future careers. Undoubtedly, an off campus learning experience is important to a child’s growth and development.
Off-campus learning enables a student to learn a new culture and gathers more experience through interacting with the outside society more often. A majority of students who opt for off-campus learning are departing their comfort zone for the first time. Therefore, they will eventually be fascinated by the diverse culture and viewpoints offered by the different environment ( Treas, Scott, & Richards, 2017) . In off-campus learning, one will come into touch with interesting new social backgrounds and ideologies. Such a set up means that one earns the chance to experience a different way of life and over time one will instill a deeper understanding comprehension and acknowledgment of concepts. One of the goals of off-campus learning is to develop leaders who tap into critical thinking to solve real-life problems. Many students have a restricted worldview; however, off-campus learning can assist in by-passing such limited viewpoints. Such insights will help the student to grow as an individual and as a professional.
References
Nieuwenhuis, R., & Maldonado, L. (2018). The triple bind of single-parent families: Resources, employment and policies to improve well-being . Policy Press.
Treas, J., Scott, J., & Richards, M. (Eds.). (2017). The Wiley Blackwell companion to the sociology of families . John Wiley & Sons.
