Sociocultural Theory Of Behaviour Essay

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Children’s behaviour is constantly changing and evolving as they learn about themselves and construct their own identities within different environments. The sociocultural theory acknowledges that social interactions are central to these continuous changes in thoughts and behaviour, varying significantly from one culture to the next. The key focus of this essay is to determine what behaviour is, with the consideration that behaviour is a socio-cultural construct and whether "Children’s capacity to choose appropriate behaviour is influenced by their developmental ability, temperament, interactions, life experiences and environmental factors” (Government of South Australia, 2004). The sociocultural theory is fundamentally based around social …show more content…

According to Bergner (2010) behaviour is commonly defined as an observable verbal or physical activity. To elaborate, all behaviour is describable and regarded as intentional if the person has a desire for a specific outcome or belief that the action will lead to an outcome (Bergner, 2010). For example comportment of everyday life and one’s actions towards another are all various forms behaviour; raising one’s hand before talking, deportment and manners, listening to loud music, taking turns when playing a game etc. Furthermore, based on Powell and Tod’s (2004) adapted Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Model it is evident that children’s behaviour can be directly influenced by a range of situations and interactions. These include family, culture, school, religion and the broader community. Subsequently, as children’s behaviour is influenced by these interactions and situations, what becomes acceptable behaviour in one area may be deemed unacceptable in another area; clearly identifying that behaviour is a socio-cultural construct. Bronfenbrenner (1994) illustrates this when comparing individuals carrying out an array of activities; one child may simply walk out of the classroom when they need to go to the bathroom as this is acceptable and a cultural norm, whilst another will raise their hand

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