SEL
A changing society
How a changing
society changes SEL
worked together as a family unit, mainly in
agriculture, but also as skilled craftsmen.
The past two centuries have eroded
this trend with the growth of towns and
cities, the decline of agriculture, and the
disappearance of the family working unit.
●
In the 20th century a majority of mothers
with young children disappeared from
their progeny’s daytime lives and entered
the out-of-home workforce on a part- or
full-time basis. An estimated 75% of
mothers of school-age children are now
members of the paid labor force.
●
Also in the 20th century, rapidly increasing
mobility caused extended families to
become geographically dispersed,
reducing children’s contact with their
grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.
●
In the past 50 years, single-parent families
have proliferated as divorce and out-of-
wedlock births became commonplace.
The percentage of children raised in one-
parent households increased from 8% to
27% during that time.
●
In the past several decades, as
Two very different trends are having a signifi cant impact neighborhoods have become more
on children’s social and emotional learning. Eric Schaps
impersonal and are perceived as less safe,
children are increasingly restricted from
discusses age segregation and national testing playing freely outdoors and from getting
to know their adult neighbors.
TWO SOCIETAL TRENDS with major profi ciency as measured by achievement The cumulative result is that, relative
consequences for children’s development tests, and especially the scores of “failing” to previous generations, contemporary
ought to be considered in the design and or “struggling” students. Whether a school children lack stable, complex networks of
implementation of social and emotional is now deemed effective depends mostly, relationships with caring adults, and they
learning (SEL) programs. One trend poses a if not solely, on whether its students make lack opportunities to observe those adults
formidable challenge to SEL itself. The other year-to-year test score gains. fulfi lling their various roles. The socializing
poses a formidable challenge to effective, If these two trends are ignored, SEL infl uences of relationships with adults and
sustained implementation of school-based policies and programs are likely to be direct involvement in adult life have been
SEL programs. ineffective. Here I discuss each trend, replaced by:
The fi rst trend is nothing new; it began and then offer suggestions for how SEL
●
Extended formal schooling, which now
some 200 years ago but has accelerated educators can cope with them. holds children for many more years and
in the past 50 years. It is the stark pattern more hours per day than in the past.
of age segregation that has developed The impact of age segregation on
●
The pervasive and multifaceted mass media,
throughout society, and that affects children children’s lives with its explicit and implicit messages
in particularly profound ways. Throughout history, children have learned about what is good and important.
The second trend is more recent, interpersonal and intrapersonal skills
●
Peer culture, as young people experience
emerging only during the past two primarily by being in close proximity to it through direct contact, and as they
decades. It is the dramatic narrowing of adults – watching and working with adults experience it indirectly via the portrayal of
public education’s mission as a result of throughout the day. This fundamental peer and popular culture in the media.
state and federal accountability systems. form and process of socialization has been Even within schools children are increasingly
These accountability systems have created steadily eroded as: segregated by age, with multi-age
a single overriding focus for schools:
●
Prior to the 19th century, most people classrooms virtually disappearing as schools
students’ English, math, and science lived in small villages. People often have grown in size. When children were
20 Better: Evidence-based Education winter 2010
Better(US)Win10 pp20-21 Society.indd 20 23/2/10 17:07:13
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