Theorists argue socialisation takes place mainly in peer group.
Some interactions (child/parent) - differing knowledge/power - Roles complimentary.
Other interactions (peers) - similar knowledge/power - Roles reciprocal.
Siblings - differ, some difference in knowledge/power but negliable.
Peer/Sibling intercation - skills of c-operating & resolving conflict.
DUNN - Sibling relationship = start of independence and wider interactions.
In child/parent interaction - child scaffolded by parent. Child/Child - own agendas for both.
- Understanding others perspectives
- Conflict management
Play as Interactional Accomplishment
Research - transcripts of interaction for qualitative analysis. Hard to transcribe, selective recording, audio/visual recording helps.
FEIN - Pretend play, 2 boys 3.5yrs, instructed and negotiated roles, physical conflict possible, one child backs down.
GONCU - children play on different levels
- Communication within play - how role played
- Meta-commuinication about play - understand pretend play
Significance of playfighting
Playfighting develops social skills and in play situ.
SMITH et al - Playfighting involves skils:
- Regulation of emotion
- Others view point
WHITING & EDWARDS - Playfight into real fight - laughter indication of play, stop laughing, now real. Also restraint is important. Open to cheat to status and dominance.
PELLEGRINI - Rough & tumble, aggression, increased status, boys and girls vary.
Importance of children's playground experience
Reasearch - self-report method.
BLATCHFORD et al - interviews, break-time culture & social development.
Bullying & agression in playground - teach social skills to deal with it.
COWIE - Social skllis teaching can only happen if children's experiences are understood.
Conflict not always negative - can be acceptable and fair.
Checklist for play vs real fighting:
- Cultural mode of group
- Context of dispute
- Standards set by adults - cultural norms
- Experience of participants.
Peer groups not always homogenous
POLLARD - study school life - 3 friendship clusters - distinct identity.
Role of Gender in conflicts and Disputes
Boys more likely to conflict than girls - girl discourse differs from boys.
- Boys - single-voiced discourse - own agenda - no negotiation - other boys wishes ignored
- Girls - double-voiced discourse - own agneda - negotiation - both parties listened to.
NEGOTIATION & JOINT DEVELOPMENT:
Negotiation not only importance in play context.
VASS - Examples seen in joint story writing.
Emotion & Sensitivity in Sibling Relationships
Sibling emotions can run high.
DUNN - Great importance on emotions in siblings to develop social understanding.
DUNN & KENDRICK - Siblings comment on fights but still protective.
Co-Operation, Collaberation and Participation
Children also Co-operate.
DUNN - Cambridge Sibling Study - Observational - Older child instructed play - as younger child ages it understands dynamics of play - still sensitive to mood of each sibling.
DUNN - Young child accepts instruction in play but not always in other contexts. More co-operative when good relationship between siblings - Suggests siblings influence social development but not entirely as in case of first-born and only children.
Fantasy & Socio-dramatic play
Sociodramatic Play - prentend play on domestic life
CORSARO - lanuage is real-life, helps kids understand life
STONE - suggests anticipatory socialisation device - prepare for life.
In western cluture, more related to girls - other cultures different.
Fantasy Play - Fictional play - creative dialogue
CORSARO - Facilites interpersonal skills - control of fears - skills for later life - 3 themes
Peer collaberation & Learning
Co-operate to solve poroblems
BROWNELL & CARRGER - observational - 30mo collaberate, joint goals, adjusting behaviour.
LITTLETON et al - mutual awareness of behaviour increase with age, working jointly is benefit for later life.
VASS - giggles & jokes = play, can be used in school task, later applied to work.
Limitations of Psychologists' Accounts of Peer & S
- Focused on face-face. No allowance for email/mobile phone.
- Western culture, cultural variation in child-parent time
- Focused on child accounts, some reasearchers think children should carry out own reasearch.
LEVELS OF ANALYSIS & SOCIAL CONTEXT
- Social context major theme
- Limitations of transcripts also self-report, observation & discourse analysis.
- Gender-typed interaction also liked to gender development.
- Cross-cultural differences in socio-dramatic and fantasy play. STONE's anticipatory socialistaion device.