Socialisation: How it affects motor development

Socialization is a process of learning and social development which occurs as we interact with one another and become acquainted with the social world in which we live. It is an active process of forming relationships, learning from those with whom we interact as we teach them. It is a process of engagement with others in our society that requires the synthesis of the new information gained, making decisions about those ideas, and using that information to shape our lives and, subsequently, the lives of others . Though generally associated with learning that occurs through social interactions, socialization can include any means by which a person gathers information about society, and it generally includes the entire process of becoming a human being. Common means of socialization include observation, inference, modeling, and trial and error, but the most important is social interaction. The influence of others around us is extremely important in determining how and when persons acquire certain movement abilities. They are also integral in determining which movement activities we choose. The amount of social support supplied by significant others in our lives is positive associated with the extent of our participation in physical activity. Researchers have determined that parents, siblings, teachers, coaches, and friends can all have varying amounts of influence on the choices we make concerning physical activity. In turn, the movement activities we choose affect our ability to “fit in” socially based on the compatibility of our choices with the dominant social values. Our movement choices also affect our self-identity, social mobility, educational achievement, attitudes concerning masculinity and femininity, and even our moral development. Although generally associated with development during childhood, the socialization process is lifelong, facilitating a person’s function within society throughout childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Furthermore, even though the term is commonly associated with the learning that occurs through social interaction, socialization can include any means by which a person gathers information about society. Nevertheless, the most important means of learning societal rules and expectations is through social interaction, which is also true for learning human movement. The influence of others around us is extremely important in determining how and when persons acquire certain movements as well as which movements are acquired. The process of socialization teaches the members of society their social roles. A social role is the behavior that members of a particular social group expect in a particular situation. There are many social roles in any society. Occupational roles of, say, a professor or a police officer are exemplified by specific expected behaviors. Family roles can be illustrated by a mother or a father, who are expected to exhibit certain behaviors relative to the rest of their family and their society. Society’s role expectations tremendously influence human motor development. Movement may or may not be acquired, depending on whether individuals believe that movement to be role appropriate. In other words, is it a movement that individuals assume appropriate for what they consider their role in society? This set of expectations about behavior is formally called a norm. Societal norms can facilita inhibit people’s movement development, depending on the individual’s perspective of the norms. For example, in many areas of the United States, the norm is to expect less of older adults, so many older adults indeed do expect less of themselves. They are inhibited or constrained by the societal norm concerning their age group. As another example, the norm for the male adolescent regarding physical activity is vigorous involvement in movement pursuits, to the extent that his social success may depend on his athletic prowess. Πηγή: «Human Motor Development”-A Lifespan approach (Greg Payne, Larry Isaacs) Recent Articles