EDFD436 Lauren Stanshall

S00242257

Assessment One
Interview
Introduction
During two interviews, two individuals discussed children, families, and communities.
Interviews were conducted in order to stimulate discussion and showcase the complexity of
each individual's experiences. Children's opinions and experiences differ in these two
interviews, however. Interviewers are trying to engage interviewees in meaningful
conversations about issues related to their identities and pedagogical practices that affect
young children. The main objective of this essay is to critically compare, contrast, and
analyse the coded transcriptions of the two interviews, focusing particularly on the influence
of social-cultural factors on children's development. Using primary qualitative textual data
collected from family members, neighbours, and friends, this essay will examine how these
stakeholders influence the ecological development of children. In addition to this, the paper
explores and analyses significant concepts, models, and themes related to children and early
childhood care and education.

Main
I (interviewee) and M (me) differ in many ways regarding social influence, despite
similarities and differences. As part of their discussion of their children's development, two
common themes can be identified: the role families play in defining fundamental knowledge
for children as part of their future identities and the role neighbourhoods and friendships play
as social actors in communities that shape children's personalities through cultural and social
influences. Based on the recorded transcripts, it can be concluded that children's development
is greatly influenced by their family members. Question 6 and Question 10 show a strong
consistency. During childhood, the person whom the child spent the most time with the child
had the greater influence. In M's opinion, my mother was the most influential individual
during my childhood because we spent most of our time together. For I, believe she chose her
grandmother as the most influential person in her life because she was close to her
grandmother. According to Heywood (2010), parents were concerned that young people
believe the social system is not fair, and that their views differ from their parents'. The
OECD, 2015, suggests that this raises questions about the concept of justice and
responsibility in their society. The loyalty of young people to groups tends to be less than that
of adults, but their friendship is crucial. They have been negatively affected as children by
their earlier roles as child-nurturers in a culture where professionalism is valued. The role that
an adult would carry is not expected of a child as small as a duckling. Self-sufficiency and
independence are essential for young people. Neglected children are less likely to participate
in their families and communities (OECD, 2015). It is possible that their reaction to reality
was influenced by the childhood environment in which they grew up. It became difficult for
them to take care of themselves because they became dependent on others. As a result of this
diversity, creativity and problem-solving skills can be enhanced as well as social interactions
among people. Thus, children will develop self-confidence, sense of identity, and
responsibility towards others (Slentz & Krogh, 2017). When I reflected on my experience
with my young brother in question 5, the interviewee described her time with her older sister
as a child: "We read comics together every night, actually she read them for me.". "We also
learned how to write and recognize the numbers together" from I. Families play an important
EDFD436 Lauren Stanshall
S00242257

role in building the fundamental knowledge of children at an early age. Children's

understanding of the world is shaped by interpersonal interactions with family members.
According to Raban & Nolan (2015), this is consistent with the socio-behavioural approach,
which argues that children's knowledge is shaped by their frequent interactions and
experiences with adults. It is the parent's responsibility to interpret the behaviour of his/her
child. Because the parent does not find the child's behaviour appropriate, the parent must not
interpret it as such.
In the two interviews, for example, we found that children growing up in upper-middle-class
cultures have more opportunities, freedom, and external influences than children growing up
in lower-middle-class cultures, but their lives are still very different, as the interviews
demonstrate. Our general perception of these two youngsters' childhood represents a small
sample of the more complex social world of childhood in general. As children enter the
school system, their social being is seen as dependent on teachers, social workers, principals,
and parents who operate a complex system of power. Child care providers who are trained to
respond in similar ways to the child's needs fill in the vacuum created by the ideal child
model of having an authority figure who responds to the child's needs and tells them what to
do. As children progress through this stage, they are viewed as passive zones, protected and
placed on defence. Thus, their beliefs are controlled by a caring authority figure (Naumann,
2018). According to the two interview transcripts, a second important point is related to the
influence of neighbours and friends on children's social skills and personalities. I revealed my
negative feelings towards my past neighbour in Question 4. Meanwhile, although the
interviewee is somewhat shy, both her neighbour and her friend helped her to change
positively; she was very kind, but she was also very talkative, so whenever I met her, she
talked a lot, which made me more comfortable talking to her even though I was shy at first.
As a consequence of social actors in the community, namely neighbours and friends, this
influence on personality can be understood from the perspective of socio-cultural theory that
suggests that children's development should be seen through the lenses of their own
communities (Raban & Nolan, 2015). Children's childhood personal identities are
fundamentally shaped by the communities in which they live. A situational perspective
should be used when assessing children's development (Roth & Lee, 2007). The second
interview reveals that culture influences individuality significantly, while multicultural
experiences emphasize family and community. It is also important to combine the
philosophies of two nations in order to help children understand the world, the importance of
tradition, and the reality of death (Carson, 2009). When a child is trying to learn to read or
write, a lack of diversity and cultural differences in his or her neighbourhood can cause
problems. From the first interviewer, learning from a different cultural background can cause
barriers. Due to this cultural difference, parents should try to teach their children from one
cultural system and not translate words from another culture into English or other languages.
Physiological and cognitive development of children are important areas of inquiry.
Humanity's success depends on the success of its children, who are our most precious
resource. Children's learning abilities are predicted by educational theories. During the last
three decades, the "Ecological Systems" model has gained prominence as one of the most
relevant theories. Due to the fact that it emphasizes the importance of the individual's
development, as well as the coexistence of two groups, such as the group and the
environment, this theory is important. In ecological systems, nature possesses an intrinsic
EDFD436 Lauren Stanshall
S00242257

component, while the group possesses an extrinsic component. These components affect
children's development in relation to the environment (Timoštšuk, 2018).

Stress influences both a person's biological or genetic components and their adaptive
responses to it. Individual’s responses to stressors are also affected by external factors, such
as interpersonal relationships, culture, language, education, and media. In contrast to other
development theories, eco-systems theory recognizes that individual learning experiences
play a crucial role in the cognitive development of humans. A child's development is heavily
influenced by environmental factors, according to leading authorities on child development.
Since more than 100 years ago, developmental psychology has been studying patterns of
development and recognizing their functions. Children's development can also be indirectly
influenced by their social circle and family interactions. Also, the microsystem is designed to
cater to the needs of the individual child (Bronfenbrenner, 2000). By working together,
knowing the environment, and engaging in positive behaviours, individuals and communities
can adapt to a condition or problem solve.

Conclusion
The purpose of this essay is to provide a better understanding of the role of social and
environmental factors in shaping the development of children during their early years based
on the transcriptions of families, local communities (such as neighbours and friends). In
summary, children's ecological development (under 5 years old) is influenced by both
psychological (individual experiences and interpersonal interactions) and sociological factors
(situational and cultural factors). According to literature in children's education scholarship,
the living environment plays an important role in shaping the ecology and development of
children (González, 2001). A key implication of this for ECEC pedagogical practices is that
since children's ecological development is highly dependent on the living environment and
the surrounding people, parents and educators must behave properly with children and create
a supportive and appropriate environment for nurturing them.
EDFD436 Lauren Stanshall
S00242257

Reference

Barnes, M. & Rowe, J. (2013). Child, youth and family health: Strengthening communities.

Gonzalez, V. (2001). The Role of Socioeconomic and Soicocultural Factors in Language Minority
Children’s Development: An Ecological Research View, Journal, 25 (1-2), 1-30

Heywood, C. (2010). Centuries of Childhood: An anniversary? The Journal of the History of Childhood
and Youth 3(3), 340-366

Naumann, I.K. (2018). Early Childhood Education and Care Policy: Beyond Quantity and quality, for
human development.

OECD. (2015) Starting Strong quality in early childhood education and care: Monitoring quality in
early childhood. OECD Publishing

Raban, B. & Nolan, A. (2015). Theories into Practice: Understanding and Rethinking Our Work with
Young Children. Teaching Solutions
EDFD436 Lauren Stanshall
S00242257