Family and Society
Globalisation has connected communities resulting in increased interaction and awareness across social borders (Portes, 1998). I believe that this developing global society has had social and educational implications as the broader range of social connectedness in modern society has resulted in diverse families and therefore, diverse learners.
Social capital refers to actual or potential advantages obtained through mutual social networks (Coleman, 1990). I believe that each child possesses a unique social capital which is accumulated through social interactions and membership to a particular social group. Families have their own specific social capital which includes the norms, social networks and relationships between adults and children which are advantageous to the growth and development of children (Smith, Beaulieu & Seraphine, 1995). The development of attitudes and perceptions towards education as well as the conditioning of children for the classroom environment demonstrate why I believe social capital has implications for academic achievement and for my relationship with stakeholders. I believe that the cultural shift away from the traditional family setting to more diverse types of families as a result of globalisation has an impact on educational outcomes as a result of family social capital.
Structural elements of a child’s family such as having one or both parents at home or the number of siblings, can influence social capital. Family structure determines the opportunities for nurturing activities such as helping children with homework, discussing school activities, establishing high academic expectations and the provision of adult supervision which affects the social capital of children (Algan, Cahuc & Shleifer, 2013). As an educator, I will need to be cognisant of the diverse family structures of my learners, how this influences their social capital which will impact my teaching methods.
The link between social capital and academic outcomes emphasises the need for teaching strategies which are conductive to social capital. Horizontal teaching methods involve the students working in groups and asking the teacher questions which has been found to be beneficial for the social capital of students (Penney et al., 2012). In my classroom I will include a range of group work activities and encourage learners to develop and ask questions in order to promote the social capital of my learners. Vygotsky (1978) stated that development, cognition and consciousness are a direct result of social interaction which reaffirms my belief that group work is an integral part of classroom learning. I also believe that formal education should facilitate social change, therefore I will include teaching methods which promote the social and cultural diversity of my learners in an increasingly global society.