Influences of Child Development in American Society

A mother has recently given birth to a beautiful baby boy in a destitute neighbor hood. She is ecstatic and makes a life long commitment to raise her child in a loving and caring household environment. As the year’s progress and the boy grow older, the mother chooses to carryout her goal by enforcing strict rules. At times, it seems as though she is being over protective, but she knows that her method of raising her child will benefit her son in the future. She teaches her so to prioritize and reminds him daily that it is important to manage your time because it is the only way to make something of yourself is the future.

Our American society provides a lot of opportunities, but various influences or circumstances affect the development of minors. The mother in the previous paragraph is given the chance to raise her son with morals and values in her poor neighborhood. She knows the environment in which she lives depicts negativity and it is her duty to teach her son that there is more to life than poverty and destitution. She also believes the influence of culture, education, and environment will greatly affect the development of her son.

In the past, the opportunities offered by the American society were limited and often asked for a number of prerequisites. Women were looked upon as child bearers and housekeepers and they were not allowed to obtain paying jobs or an education. The father had the “…distinct role as the family provider…” (Linda Regensburger, American Family, 21). The main focus of the father was to be concerned about the household income. This resulted in a poor father child relationship. It is apparent that this economically disadvantaged environment affected the development of children. Although living in a two- family household, the children, in actuality, experienced a single-parent living environment.

Since the Great Depression and World War II, things have changed. Women redefined their role by entering the work force and obtaining a “…post- secondary education” (Linda Regensburger, American Family, 17). Working women were able to make money while caring for children. “In 1999, 7 of 10 married women worked” (17). This striking statistic shows that there is a strong sense of determination within the household. This aura of perseverance is necessary in an environment where minors are raised. The role of the fathers changed as well. They were now given the responsibility of dealing with childcare issues.

Culture plays an important role in the development of children. Because each culture has different morals and values, it is safe to say that child developmental skills vary from culture to culture. If a child is loud and disruptive or very shy and introverted, one may become suspicious. In this situation, it is important not to jump to conclusions. The cultural background of the child may provide answers to the child’s behavior patterns.

In the African American household there is an interaction between adult and child. There is a great deal of “ verbal teasing, playful arguing, and ‘volleying’” (Diane M. Klein and Deborah Chen, Working with Children from Culturally Diverse Backgrounds, 106) within the home. When the Child enters a learning environment, it is hard for him/her to make the adjustment to the classroom setting. The child has no one to tease or argue with and the need for the home environment creates difficulty in the classroom. This behavioral pattern is not often present in the Caucasian American. They usually adapt to the educational environment faster than any other race. The teacher cannot “…effectively control African American children” (106).

The Asian American family is quite contrary to that of the African American family. It is very difficult for Asian American children to interact with adults. Eye contact between Asian American children and a figure of authority is considered disrespectful. In order to live “comfortably”, Asian American children monitor their actions in the presence of adults.

The child may be used to waiting for specific requests or cues from adults. The concept of ‘enryo’ is important in many Japanese American families (deferring to authority and not expressing wishes and preferences) (Nagata, 1989, p.79). This emphasis makes it difficult for young Japanese children to feel comfortable in situations such as ‘free play’ where it is unclear what it is expected of them. (Working with Children from Culturally Diverse Backgrounds, 107)

Because Asian Americans are taught to follow an authority figure, they are unable to make decisions and express what they like or prefer. The Asian American cultural background must be taken into consideration in the classroom environment.

Traditions and customs affect the developmental skills of children. In Mexican American and African American families, “…children are comfortable with close proximity and being held or hugged” (Diane M. Klein and Deborah Chen, Working with Children from Culturally Diverse Backgrounds, 110). However, Asian Americans are less comfortable when approached by physical affection. They also rely on the assistance of their parents. Asian American parents are very protective and view their young children as helpless. This type of parenting is not present in middle class children. “Middle-class children acquire a fair amount of independence by preschool age” (110).

Culture clearly affects the development of children. It takes time and patience to understand the many different cultural backgrounds. When one is educated on the topic of culture, it eliminates the immediate jump to conclusions and suspicions.

In the opening paragraph of this essay, we are introduced into a single parent household environment. Although the external environment seems disparaging, the mother has high hopes for her son to receive a good education and live in a better area. The environment in which one lives has lasting effects on the development of children.

A child’s actions usually reflect the type of household in which a child is raised. However, mixed messages may occur. At home, a child may have the freedom of running wild throughout the house while yelling, screaming, and creating chaos. But, when the child enters a more sophisticated environment, it is hard for him/her to adapt to the rules and regulations. In the home, many children are used to being told to perform certain orders or actions; when they are challenged, they become incontrollable. “Children who are unaware of conventions about whether and when students should participate in the classroom, for example, appear more likely to retreat from active involvement or to become disruptive in the face of confusion” (Cultural Diversity and Early Education, 20).

The economic stability of a family is very important. If a child grows up as part of the lower class, he/she may not have the money to finance a proper education. The child may be given the opportunity to gain an education from a public school, or he/she may have to do without. America, a very multicultural country, is filled with legal and illegal immigrants. The majority of these immigrants has poor economic stability and barely survives. The American life is full of monetary necessities and if the parents are not able to reach these quotas, it can create lasting effects on their child.

As a result of poor financial stability, children may experience a number of life changing events. A child may see their parent’s unfortunate situation as motivation to perform well in school or obtain a legal job. On the other hand, another child may perceive the situation as unfair to them and he/she may rebel against the parent(s). They may also obtain a job, or turn to the dangerous street life. At this low point, the damaging psychological effects become rooted into the child’s mind.

Education is important to the development of children and it is a necessity for survival. In our society there is education for all; the deaf the blind, the disabled, the gifted, the young, the average, and the students who need extra help. The educational system in the American society offers a variety of options for children and parents to choose from. There are private schools, public schools, vocational schools, same sex schools, and schools catering to sexual preference. The emphasis on education is enormous because without it society would lack order and unity.

In the past, the enrollment of children was based on the “baby boom.” As the “baby boom” faded, so did school enrollment. “An ‘echo effect’ occurred in the 80s, when those born during the baby boom started their own families” (Barbara Klier, Education: Reflecting Our Society?, 7). As a result, the 1990s saw an increase in school enrollment. High school and college enrollment is also expected to increase in the future. For decades, the educational opportunity has not been equal among Whites, blacks, and other minority groups. Nonetheless, as the years matured, “the marked difference in educational attainment that once existed between Whites and minorities has narrowed…in 1997, 92.9 percent of Whites, 86.9 of blacks and 61.8 percent of Hispanics ages 25 to 29 years old were high school graduates…”(8).

The American educational system has been through many turbulent issues such as integration, budget cuts, and improved security in a learning environment. The school system will continue to face these issues because our society has become very lenient and readily accepts new offers. Education is a very important factor in the developmental skills of a child and it is an accumulation of many aspects. Some important factors of education are household, race, sex, parental participation, and genetics.

When in the comfort of his/her home, a child is relaxed unstressed, and performs at ease. If the child needs assistance with his/her work he/she asks for help from adult or any other person who is nice and easy to talk to. This ability to converse with someone you know creates a sense of comfort that cannot be found anywhere else. Once again, when the child enters the classroom setting, things drastically change. For instance,

…African American children are extremely sensitive to emotional elements in an interaction; that is, they are attuned to the adult’s feelings toward them. If there is a positive emotional attachment, children will seek out adult one-to-one interaction. Related to this characteristic are the research findings done…on racial bias in standardized testing (Working with Children from Culturally Diverse Backgrounds, 106).

In Cultural Diversity and Early Education, researchers also believe that “…high levels of comfort and engagement [tests]…the validity of prevailing achievement tests for children from diverse cultural backgrounds” (par 30).

Genetics is an unusual, but valid supporting topic for education. All children are not born “perfect” but they are all entitled to an education. “In 1975,Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act… which required schools to develop programs for disabled children” (Barbara Klier, Education: Reflecting our Society, 28). The act was changed in 1992 to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The special education students are determined by emotional disturbance, learning disability or mental retardation. The majority of the occupants in the department consist of males and minorities.

Several theories have been proposed to explain the disproportion of males in various disability categories. Some evidence suggests that boys have greater vulnerability than girls do to certain genetic maladies and are more prone to developmental lags because of physiological or maturational differences. (30)

Before 1994, disabled students were home schooled, taught in separate schools, or special classrooms. This theory changed when the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) called for “inclusion programs.” These programs gave disabled students the opportunity to regular classroom with disabled and no disabled students. This helped the development of both groups of students. The disabled students gained “…better social skills, and improvements in language development, behavior, and self-esteem, as well as academic progress” (Barbara Klier, Education: Reflecting our Society, 31).

When young children are entering the learning environment for the first time it is important for them to understand that there are many types of cultures in the American Society. Teachers help them come to this realization by splitting the class into small groups so that the students can feel like they are their home environments. “…The process of adjusting to different practices at home and at school may even be beneficial, particularly in a multicultural society” (Cultural Diversity and Early Education, par 32). It is important for not only teachers, but also parents as well to participate in activities with their children. They must be able to maintain a balance of school in the home, and home in the school. This small step is major because it eliminates the feeling of confusion in the child’s mind. This developmental skill of balance is a great skill to acquire at a young age. It prepares the minor for the tasks that lie ahead in the future.

Sex is a major issue concerning education. There are schools for girls, boys, gays, and lesbians. As mentioned before, the American society is lenient and it offers a variety of choices, based on personal preference. If a student feels comfortable in an all girls setting, then maybe the right school for him/her would be an all girls’ or boys’ school. In 1996, an all girls’ school opened up in Harlem. “ The school found itself in the middle of public debate because boys were not admitted, because a similar school for boys was not available, and because the opportunity was not given to all girls” (Barbara C. Cruz, Separate Sexes, separate Schools, 6). If the opportunity were given to all girls, then the underprivileged girl’s would have been at a loss. The seats would be filled and the controversy would barely exist. The opening of an all boys’ school would not have created this much controversy either. In the past men were given the opportunity to have an education. Women had to fight for that right. This issue helps children form opinions as to what they feel is right or wrong and it helps them develop logical thinking habits. With parental participation, children are able to debate whether to choose a same sex school or a coed school.

Referring back to the mother and son in the introduction, that mother knew the importance of a good education and she felt that it was her duty to see that her son benefits from his. As a parent, who has already experienced the issues her son is facing, she know exactly what direction to go in and what path to take.

When he finished elementary school he graduated and went onto high school. After four long years of rigorous hard work and studying he is now entering one of Americas most prestigious Universities. Because of his mother’s constant reminders, strict rules and their perseverance, he made it to the next level and she achieved her goal. Parental participation, morals and values, culture, education, and environment play an important role in the developmental skills of children in our American society. Children need guidance and they receive from their culture, education, and environment. Children must be taught the America is multicultural and extremely diverse and it is a great learning environment. Education is a mixture of culture and environment. Once they are able to understand themselves, then the may make it their responsibility to learn traditions of other cultures. They then will realize the developmental progress they have made in this American society.

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