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Associate Prof. George Oduro
Commonwealth Education Trust
Learners and Learning
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Course 3:
Week 1 : The lives of childrenLecture 2: Issues of identity. Who am I?
Foundations of Teaching for
Learning
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Reflect briefly on the conceptof identity.
Would you say the child hasan identity that is differentfrom the adult?
Write down what you thinkabout these questions
Identity: a matter of
understanding
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consciousness8/13/2019 Powerpoints-week 1 Lecture 2
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What do you think about these definitions of identity?
Identity: a matter of
understanding
The characteristics that determine
the fact of being who or what a person or thingis(Readers Digest Dictionary)
It tells us about that which distinguishes one
person or group of persons from another
The fact of being the same person or thing
as claimed(Merriam Webster Dictionary)
Simply put , identity is that which makes an
individual an individual
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This involves natural qualities associated with anindividual such as:
Physical features (tallness, shortness, ways of talkingcapabilities and abilities)
The Personal and Social Self
The
Personal
Self
The
SocialSelf
This is defined through group memberships.
Children are de facto members of many social groups
(families, the national group, ethnic groups, religiousgroups)
Ones social identity creates and defines the individuals
place in society
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Peoples understanding of social identities can be based onmany types of information, for example:
Nationality might be conceived in terms of place of birth,passport held, place of domicile, psychological properties,values, and beliefs
Determinants of Identity
Culture
Adultsconceptualisation of social identity
may be based on these different
characteristics
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Childrens conceptualisations of social identities are initiallylimited but undergo substantial elaboration with increasingage
Infants, for example, clearly differentiate betweenindividuals on the basis of social categories such as gender,colour and age but are only able to attach particular
meanings and attributes to these categories as they grow.
In this sense, every woman may be given the identity of amumby an infant
How children conceptualize social
identity
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Researchhas found differences among children living in
different regions of the same country.David Giles (2003) observed:
Determinants of the childs own
identityGeographical Location
In Moscow and Smolensk, the Russian
identity was more salient to Moscow
children. It may be that this is the effect of
Moscow being the capital, and that children
there are confronted with many icons that
represent the Russian state
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Giles study also found widespread differences in
the national identity development of: Children living in the same location but belonging
to different ethnic groups
Children belonging to the same ethnic group butattending schools using different languages fortheir education
Determinants of the childs own
identity
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Relationship orientationChildren who grow up in cultures that
emphasize individualism develop a different
relational identity compared to children who
grow up in cultures that emphasize communal
living
Determinants of the childs own
identity
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Belief orientation
Some identities are based entirely on belief -commitments associated with the environmentwithin which the child develops, for example:
(Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Animal
liberationism)
Determinant of the Childs own
identity
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Family influence
In some societies in Africa, childrensidentities are determined by thedominant dispositions of the family
Determinant of the Childs own
identity
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The School Culture
The school curriculum: contents of subjects and how they are taught
School rules and regulations governing child behaviour
Teachersrole modelling: most children, particularly those fromdisadvantaged contexts tend to model their identity on how their
teachers behave.
Culture, curriculum and modelling
The school plays a crucial role in shaping the identity of children. Thisoccurs through:
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The teacher is the the first brick in the structure of socialdevelopment, perfection, in guiding and developing
behaviors and mentalities of individuals
Teachers are exemplars: Pupils acquire the good traits andsound trends, as well as the virtuous behavior and
composure from their teachers whose guidance andconduct penetrate to their hearts. They will deem good onlywhat the teacher deems good and deems evil only what theteacher deems evil
A thought from MuhammadBaqir Qarash (1998)
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Think pair -share
What do you consider to be the most
determining factor (s) that influencechildrens identity development in yourcountry?
What do you think a teacher should do to helpchildren to develop their identity?
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Associate Prof. George Oduro
Commonwealth Education Trust
Learners and Learning