As I mentioned before my disciplines are religion and sociology. I have learned some very important concepts and theories that I am already experiencing and using through my internship at Future For Kids (FFK). One that immediately comes to mind is "self-fulfilling prophecy". This is the theory that an individuals behavior is influenced by what others expect of them. Since I mentor at risk children at future for kids I see a lot of negative attitudes the children have about themselves and their future because of the negative influences that their parents, teachers or society bestow on them. They are sometimes expected to fail so they do. That's what we're trying to change!
Hirshi's Social control Theory- this theory states that delinquency can be caused by the lack of social bonds one has. If one has strong family attachments and commitment to positive activities then they are less likely to be involved in delinquent behavior. I see this quite often at FFK as well. A lot of the children rarely see their parents because they both have to work to support the family. They also have few options when it comes to being involved in activities because it's a money issue. An eleven year old boy told me he has already been asked to join a gang. I feel sad and scared for him because it may seem inticing to him because it will give him a sense of belonging.
Attachment Theory- This is the theory that analyzes the history of a child and their primary caregiver. This relationship will determine the kind of adult relationships the child has. This is a very important topic to explore at FFk because helping change the weak bonds that these children have in their home life can potentially change their future. The mentorship program is focused on being a positive figure in these kid's lives and helping them to remember they can achieve greatness if they put their minds to it.
Norms- norms a rule or standard by which something is judged and on that basis approved or disapproved. Norms are obviously apparent in every facet if life but it is interesting to see the differences in children who are in the same age group but grow up differently in different neighborhoods. For many children between age 8 and 12 the routine is pretty standard. After school probably a snack, then homework or sports. For some of the children I'm in contact with they don't have parental guidance after school so their norms are somewhat different. They see older kids or siblings that give them the idea that homework is "nerdy" so they develop the idea that it's negative to be involved in school, unfortunately. Please let me know if you have any comments on what I have said or if you have any suggestions on how to help change and better the future for these kids.
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Hi Gina,
ReplyDeleteYour internship sounds like it is very challenging. You indicate that many of the children you work with have negative influences that have been bestowed on them by their family or society. Trying to change negative perceptions into positive ones can be very challenging. That’s why it’s so important to have programs like the one you are interning at that dedicates to at-risk kids so they can have a mentor and get involved in activities that can change their way of thinking. Kids learn by example and by providing rewarding and self-fulfilling activities, this will help change their perception of the situations they are in and encounter. I know I would rather be around positive people than negative ones. If I am feeling lousy and am around a positive person or positive environment, this is contagious and it helps me pull out of the bad way I am feeling. I’m sure this goes for many other people. Best of luck to you at your internship.
Hi Gina. My name is Kris and I enjoyed reading about the concepts and theories that apply to your internship. I think the organization that you are working with is doing a great thing for these children and for the community. I find it very true that children, especially ones that have negative influences, are easily influenced by the expectations of others. It is really unfortunate that specific people influence negative behavior, but it is even worse to think that society as a whole is a negative thing for these children. I would imagine these kids know they don’t have much hope to change because they know that society wants them to fail. The horrible part is when these people accept the fact that they are supposed to fail. This is why I think what you are doing with FFK is really great. That sounds like the type of organization I would like to be involved with myself some day. Keep up the good work and change some lives!
ReplyDeleteYour internship sounds like a great learning experience. I like the theories that you chose for your concentration areas. The first, self-fulfilling prophecy is an interesting one and very true, it has the ability to be a great thing or can be devastating. It is cool to know that there are great programs out there to try and keep these kids out of trouble and helping them make good choices. They have good examples and people to talk to, people who will and want to listen to the things they have to say. It is hard to get over the negative labels assigned to you, to look beyond that, especially when your young. Best of luck with your internship
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