The Impact of Social Learning on Childhood Development & Ethics

This essay examines the crucial role of social learning in shaping a child's understanding of the social world and their ethical development during childhood. It highlights how children learn from their environment, observing and imitating behaviors, and the importance of guiding them towards positive social ethics. The essay references Bandura's social learning theory to explain how children develop perceptions based on observation and reinforcement, emphasizing the need to demonstrate the difference between right and wrong. Ultimately, the essay concludes that understanding social learning is essential for comprehending childhood development and fostering a child's ability to navigate the complexities of the social world. Desklib offers a variety of resources, including past papers and solved assignments, to aid students in their studies.

Childhood

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY.................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................2
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................3

INTRODUCTION
Social world refers to understanding sociology and concepts behind emergence of society. It
helps in providing brief description about what are the phases of life. Social learning refers to
learning from society. They are ethics, values, beliefs, etc. Also, by learning about society it is
easy to know that what is bad and good.
MAIN BODY
It is necessary to understand social world so that an insight on society. For an individual
childhood is the most beautiful phase of life. It is because the individual is having complete
freedom to enjoy life. Moreover, a child is highly dependent on others for fulfilling their needs
(Stearns, 2016). They are not having enough understanding about right and wrong. A child learns
and inherits things from parents. So, it reflects their behaviour and nature. A society consists of
both good and bad. So, it depends on individual that how he or she is able to learn from it. There
are various types of learning which enable individual to learn. But it depends on phase of life that
what they learn.
When we get to know about childhood, it reflects their social learning. Childhood can be
understood from the fact that what is right and wrong. Usually, children observe things and then
learn from it. So, it is essential to show them the right thing and give reason behind it. A child
ability to learn things is developed within society. It helps them to experience new things. They
are able to identify what is right and wrong. Besides this, when children comes in contact with
other they explore things. However, ethics can also be included in it which will help child to gain
social learning. In ethics duty, honesty, respect, etc. can be inherited by child by showing them
the example of it. Through this, difference between good and bad can be shown to them. Along
with it, by learning social ethics child can easily identify social world. Childhood is reflected
through individual ethics (James, 2017). It shows what child has learnt and how they help and
interact with others. By gaining knowledge about society it is stated that childhood allows
individual to experience things in more logical way.
Learning about social world gives an understanding about different phases of life. Also, a
child perspective depends on social learning. It can be clearly observed that an adult seek things
that are prevailing within society. But it is important for children to show good and bad. This
develops perception among them regarding social world. They are able to differentiate between
them. Besides this, there are some bad things also prevail in society. Children learn what they are
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taught by society. Childhood is different from other stage of life. So, they must be guided in right
direction. By learning about social world it is easy to get insight that what children is been
taught.
There are various concepts and theories related to childhood. They help in understanding
childhood phase. The theory is described below :-
Here, Bandura social learning theory can be taken which state that a child development is
based on what he or she observes and learn (Bandura social learning theory, 2016). They
observe things and try to imitate people. Through this, it is easy to understand their behaviour.
Also, children like to imitate those people that are of same gender. Moreover, when children
found that consequences of behaviour is rewarding they continue with it else no. A child also
observes that whether they have to copy other actions or not (James and Prout, 2015). This is
related to reinforcement. Besides this, reinforcement can be either positive or negative. Bandura
has given two model that is behaviourist and cognitive model. Behaviourist is related to
behaviour of child whereas cognitive is response of stimuli. So,on basis of it development and
perception depends.
An example can be taken in which some children are playing in ground. Suppose, a child
falls down and get hurt and some another child pick him up. Thus, it reflects the right thing to be
done as a child knows that helping others is good. Thus, in society helping others in a good
thing. It shows respect towards others. So, here social ethics is the reason given to help others.
CONCLUSION
Hence, it can be said that children needs to show difference between good and bad. This
reflects their social learning and surroundings. Furthermore, by this it is easy to understand social
world and childhood.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
James, A. and Prout, A., 2015. Re-presenting childhood: Time and transition in the study of
childhood. In Constructing and reconstructing childhood (pp. 202-219). Routledge.
James, A., 2017. Constructing childhood: Theory, policy and social practice. Macmillan
International Higher Education.
Stearns, P.N., 2016. Childhood in world history. Routledge.
Online
Bandura social learning theory. 2016. [online] Available through : <
https://www.simplypsychology.org/bandura.html>
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