socialisation: way to prevent cultural conflicts?

Socialisation: way to prevent cultural conflicts?

This is a paper that discusses about children's development process and how travelling and being part of the multicultural society can help to accept different cultures more easily. It finds out that socialisation has a big part on persons development and travelling in the early age helps children to accept other cultures more easily.

Socialisation is a process where a human learns the norms and habits that make them part of the society. Mostly parents are the ones who influence a child's development but a big part is also school environment because children absorb habits and attitudes from the environment they live in. Media and peer groups are part of this process as well. Also the way one's parents behave abroad and travelling affect to a child as well as the mode of travelling. Families with car or cars makes the child absorb car travelling more easily which makes it more difficult for them to start using public transportation. This also leads to the fact that they do not develop to be as independent and open minded as those who use public transport from the early beginning. If parents behave disrespectfully abroad children start to think it is the way to do it and get an idea that they are somehow better than the others and it is ok to treat them like that. To avoid this it is important to think about one's own behaviour.

While education process is part of the socialisation school environment is important stage to adapt a developing child to understand other cultures. But also the teacher has to know about different cultures to be able to teach a child in appropriate way. In Latvia teachers are told to change the study program the way that it is good for every student unlike in America. In united states the teachers come from little villages near the school and never have travelled outside their home. These teachers cannot speak other languages fluently and like this they transmit only their own way of seeing racism and other cultures to the children. Researchers have discovered the stages of children's understanding. Early children understand differences but do not categorise. In the early puberty people are the most unwilling to understand others and by the age of adolescence they become more neutral against others. This is why they suggest the age of ten to be most ideal time to start travelling with the child. At this age they can interact with other children non-verbally through games and other activities and are motivated to learn other languages.

Cultural conflicts happen when people travel and meet other people. A conflict is not necessarily anything violent or harassing it may be when people recognise the difference of people and that their values are not the same as ours. Cultural difference is not about physical differences it is more of the behaviour when racism is about the appearance. Racist thoughts are often transmitted from the parents to children during the socialisation period. This is why it is crucial to travel with a child as much as possible when they are young to increase the tolerance and decrease prejudice against other, different people. Tourism is the only way to have real international interaction and when you are in foreign country you have to respectful against others. Tourism has said to be a passport to peace. With this a little exaggerated thought in mind we could create more tolerant world by introducing the world to a child from the early beginning. We are all different and have different values. Tourism and travelling can be the way to help understand one another, so let's do it.

Key words: socialisation, education, other cultures, travelling

References

Cushner, K (2008) International socialization of young people: Obstacles and opportunities International journal of intercultural relations vol. 32 pp. 164-173
Petere, A (no date) Study and upbringing problems in multicultural environment in basic school available at: http://www.pf.ujep.cz/files/data/KPR_konferenceprispevek15.pdf [access date: 30/4/2011]
Robinson, M. and Boniface, P. (1999) Tourism and Cultural Conflicts Cabi Publishing: UK

The author of this discussion paper has effectively displayed and discussed socialisation and how it affects children views and ideas of other cultures whilst growing up. The paper engages well with the strand as socialisation is a process that all humans learn norms and habits that make them apart of society. Within the paper it discusses the influences and habits that children learn from the living environment and how these may effect them towards their travelling desires and behaviour. For example, the author talk about how parents behaviour whilst on holiday will cause children to learn from their actions regardless if they are positive behavioural actions or negatives, parents need to keep in mind that children will follow their parents at a young age as they don't know any different. Secondly, the idea of children learning from parents negative behaviour could be reduced by in my opinion before you travel if you are able to learn key phrases of the host county and their traditions and values. This will help to prevent any culture conflict occurring and also help to educate children further.


Reasons for commenting on this paper is that it has looked into similar issue as discussed in my study paper. This is through socialisation and how children learn and are influenced by others and other elements.

One point that interested me the most within this paper was at what ages the younger generation become distance and willing to learn about other people. This is because, you can see in society today how teenagers and adolescence in this country are unable or unwilling to learn about other cultures as they see ours as the norm and hat everyone else should be doing. Also another point that took my interest was about how countries such as Latvia change their study programme and how they learn other languages at school in order for children to learn as much as possible. I believe that England really is so far behind this idea and concept and is almost an embarrassment that other countries such as China or Japan at the early ages of six or seven children can speak fluent English as well as their own language but yet in England we can't do this. Is this because of attitudes from teachers or student?

The paper then goes on to discuss how at the age of ten this is the most ideal time to start travelling with children as this is when they can interact with other children through games and activities. This idea is all well and good but unfortunately not everyone in society can afford to take holidays due to financial difficulties so it makes it even harder for children to learn and see other cultures. Consequently, this is putting more pressure on the idea of cultural conflict. Maybe something needs to be put into place for this to be less of a risk?


Overall, the author has described and discussed key points within her topic of socialisation: way to prevent cultural conflict and has given me as the reader further insight to the topic that was similar discussed within my paper. It is something I believe that we all need to consider how our actions and behaviour will influence others which could lead to causing offence to other people.