Social Development during infancy
Infancy is the stage of pre-social behaviour. This period is not very much important from the angle of social-development. Shirley, however, believes that true social behaviour begins with the infant’s awareness of adults around him at the age of one month. The studies conducted by Buhler, Gassel and Thompson show that during this period, the infant is concerned almost completely with the satisfaction of his body-wants.
The young infant begins to respond to the behaviour of those who supply his wants. By the time a child has reached the age of one year, he has developed a fairly satisfactory pattern of responses to adults. He indicates by his behaviour that he is not unaware of other’s interests, although he still is primarily concerned with himself. The following table indicates some main features of infant behaviour during the first year:
It may, however, be noted that infants differ from one another in the rapidity with which they exhibit what appear to be characteristics of early social behaviour.
Educational implications
Much of a child’s social education should and does take place at home. There are values, however, that accrue to the child from associations he makes in an organised group of youngsters of his own age.
In the nursery school the young child is afforded an opportunity of developing the primary skills of eating, manipulating toys, and playing games. He also learns to associate with other children in school. The formal organisation of the nursery school makes possible a progressive learning process conducted in an orderly fashion. Thus, most of the nursery school children learn to participate in group activities rather than to remain passive onlookers. In general, therefore, attendance at a nursery school helps the young child in his socialising process.
