To develop your knowledge and understanding of children’s peer cultures

Aim

To develop your knowledge and understanding of children’s peer cultures.

Evidence and reflection

Undertake a systematic observation of a group of children during certain pre-selected occasions throughout the day. This may be a group, or pair of children, that you have identified through the use of a sociogram. Playtimes, especially the beginning phase and end phase, can provide particularly rich sources of data on children's peer cultures. Use the following checklist to help you make notes. The items will act as a prompt reminding you of the sorts of things to look out for which provide indications of the child's cultural world amongst their peer group. (Some of them overlap)

• Rites, rituals, gestures, fights
• Icons, heroines and heroes
• Victims, scapegoats and hate-figures
• Music
• TV programmes, stories, magazines and comics
• Jokes and shared humour
• Goals - implicit and explicit
• Response to new members
• Name –calling, insults and terms of abuse
• Terms of praise and admiration
• Catch-phrases and vocabulary
• Ways of  making up and breaking up

 

Extension

When you have become aware of the shared interests of a particular cultural group in this way, go one step further and engage with some of the interests you have discovered, e.g. watch key TV programmes, or listen to identified pop songs. Try to imagine what attractions these areas of interest hold for these pupils.