Individual and Social Factors Associated with the Behaviour of Children in a Play Setting.

Abstract

The initial stimulus for this investigation was a belief that a social perspective on the behaviour of children was under developed. It was believed that this perspective needs to be considered and assessed in comparison with the well developed biological and psychological approaches which view children's behaviour in individualistic terms. The study therefore examined the joint relevance of age, sex and social influences emanating from class and ethnic group membership for variations in preschool children's behaviour in structured play settings ("play behaviour''). The research was carried out through direct observation in three virtually identical playbuses which catered for children up to school age in different areas of Birmingham where the predominant population came from different ethnic and social class groups. The sample size was 165 children. The ages of the children ranged from 2 to 5 years. The sexes were almost equally divided with 82 boys and 83 girls. With regard to social class, children from English working and middle class backgrounds were observed, the primary criterion of class membership being parent's home ownership. Four ethnic groups were observed, these were Sikh, Muslim, Hindu and West Indian children. The study found that age and gender were associated with a few differences in behaviour but that social group was more widely associated with such behaviour. The nature of the differences between English and Asian and between English working and middle class children appears already to be beginning to shape their behaviour patterns, motivations and social competences even at the preschool stage. Such differences are likely to have significant consequences for the children's career and life chances later on.