http://www.ignouassignmentwala.

in/

BES -121 (JANUARY/JULY 2019)

CHILDHOOD AND GROWING UP

Disclaimer/Special Note: These are just the sample of the Answers/Solutions to some of the Questions given in the
Assignments. These Sample Answers/Solutions are prepared by Private Teacher/Tutors/Authors for the help and
guidance of the student to get an idea of how he/she can answer the Questions given the Assignments. We do not claim
100% accuracy of these sample answers as these are based on the knowledge and capability of Private Teacher/Tutor.
Sample answers may be seen as the Guide/Help for the reference to prepare the answers of the Questions given in the
assignment. As these solutions and answers are prepared by the private Teacher/Tutor so the chances of error or
mistake cannot be denied. Any Omission or Error is highly regretted though every care has been taken while preparing
these Sample Answers/Solutions. Please consult your own Teacher/Tutor before you prepare a Particular Answer and
for up-to-date and exact information, data and solution. Student should must read and refer the official study material
provided by the university.

BES -121 SOLVED ASSIGNMENT 2019 Page 1

 http://www.ignouassignmentwala.in/

All the questions are compulsory.

1. Discuss the various agencies of socialization at meso level. Why do you think that socialization is vital for growing
up?
SOLUTION
Agencies of socialization
1 Micro level Socialization: Family, Peer Group, Neighbourhood
2 Meso-level Socialization: School, Religion, Social Class
3 Macro level Socialization: Global Community, Electronic Media, Social Networking

Meso Level Socialization: School, Religion, Social Class

Meso level units are intermediate size social units smaller than the ones at macro level but larger than the micro units
like the family or the local community. It may include schools, educational institutions, political groups, etc. These
organizations and institutions may not be as big as the global units but are beyond the personal experiences
encountered in everyday life.

School
As a child grows, s/he is ushered into school where her/his contact with others also grows. The child’s first day in school
is one of the rites of passage into Meso level unit. It is worthwhile to remember that socialization of children from
infancy to adolescence occurs at a very rapid rate with family and peers exerting greatest influence at the initial stage of
infancy. Thereafter, it is the school which moulds the behaviour norms of the child. School refers to a whole range of
formal educational institutions. In the words of Brubacher ‘school is an active, direct and formal agency of education and
socialization”. The school has been conceived with the purpose of giving ‘heterogeneous society commonness’. School
has to be seen as a conscience keeper of the society which is continuously striving to take humanity to the next higher
levels of moral, intellectual and aesthetic development through engagement with children. Schools provide both formal
and informal contexts for the students. The formal context is the one provided in the classroom wherein the content of
socialization is determined by the curriculum and the teaching-learning process. The informal context can be perceived
in the inter-personal relations of students with teachers and the peer group. School is a miniature society where children
of different families, different religions, different castes and economic status come together, take part in collective
activities and learn to adjust to the society. It is in school that whatever the child has learnt hitherto through family, peer
group or community gets stabilized.

BES -121 SOLVED ASSIGNMENT 2019 Page 2

 http://www.ignouassignmentwala.in/

School socialization not only helps the growing child in gaining academic insights but also many values like the
importance of punctuality, discipline, resilience, team work, cooperation, etc. Another significant role played by schools
is with regards to gender socialization. Although the first lessons on gender are learnt from the family, yet it is at school
that the child comprehends its various dimensions. The school becomes the most important agency at this stage;
simultaneously he/she is introduced to the peer group in the school and neighbourhood. The school system functions
within the society and complies with society’s demands. It serves the purpose of catalyst when there is a need for
reform and dynamism At the same it keeps a check so that cultural values of a society do not get diluted. Children who
are deprived of school education therefore will have only narrow socialization unlike their counterparts in schools who
have scope for greater interaction, exposure and wider socialization. Hidden curriculum is also used as a vehicle for
socialization in school. Hidden curriculum as the term implies is what children learn other than the academic content
from what they do or are expected to do. Teachers and classmates shape children’s attitudes towards social class,
gender etc. which get reflected in their behaviour. In this way, school as an agent plays a pivotal role in the socialization
of children reinforcing the habits, values, and norms which are acquired from the family and at the same time exposing
them to new realms of thoughts and deeds.

Teacher as an Agent of Change

Teacher is pivotal in imparting lessons on socialization to children. S/he holds a key position in the classroom for
creating and maintaining a conducive environment. S/he plays multiple roles in moulding the personality of children. By
transmitting knowledge, disseminating information, inculcating values, modeling ideal behaviour, resolving conflicts,
communicating positive expectations, etc. a teacher contributes to children’s learning. Although the primary
responsibility of a teacher is knowledge transmission, yet teacher is an active agent of socialization. Through constant
interaction during the teaching learning process, an atmosphere of trust is created in the classroom, where children can
express their ambitions, share their experiences, communicate their fears and anxieties and arrive at solutions. As
mentioned earlier, the teacher, the learning environment and practices within the school coalesce to affirm roles and
attitudes. During the formative years when children are at the elementary level the bond between children and teachers
is very close like the one they have with their parents. They look upon their teacher as an ideal person. At the adolescent
stage too the role of a teacher is not less significant. A positive relationship with teachers during their turbulent years
can reduce aggression, anxiety and guide them to proactive behaviour. Studies document that emotionally supportive
teachers encourage academic interest, motivation and positive self-concept and help adolescents steer through the
period of “stress and storm”. A teacher influences in direct as well as indirect ways. S/he can augment the process of
socialization in children by modeling behaviour, communicating expectations and by reinforcing positive behaviour. As
facilitator of students’ socialization into the learning environment, the teacher has the potential for bringing desirable
change in behaviour. Her/his role expands beyond that of instructor while s/he is engaged in student socialization.

Religion
Emile Durkheim defines religion “as the unified system of beliefs and practices related to sacred things.” Those who
have common beliefs and practices are united into one single moral community through religion. Both anthropologists
as well as sociologists consider religion as an inseparable part of our social being. Religion shapes collective belief into

BES -121 SOLVED ASSIGNMENT 2019 Page 3

 http://www.ignouassignmentwala.in/

collective identity. You must have noticed how religious rituals like weddings, burials, birth day celebration and festivals
bring people together wherein they express solidarity with their groups. Members of a particular religious group enjoy a
sense of belongingness. It is but natural that those who are outside the group feel alienated. As one of the potential
agents of socialization, religion exposes its members to spiritual world view and coaxes them to venture into a larger
society. The diversity in our country with respect to religion is so astounding. Socialization processes and practices differ
from one religion to another. In most cases, children adopt the religion of their parents. Each religion follows its own
rites and rituals, customs, ceremonies, dress, language, beliefs, attitudes, etc. which are in variance with those of other
religions. Within the sub systems too there are differences in everyday practices. Is it not amusing to watch marriage
ceremonies in various religions; each one unique to each religion? These ideological differences are transmitted to the
members of the different sects through the socializing process. Although of late the external symbols like the dress or
language have become more or less uniform, yet there are differences in the process. Religion inspires an individual to
serve for the welfare of her/his community and society. Since the spiritual thread of religion is closely interwoven with
an individual’s life pattern, much of his/her behaviour is controlled by it. For example, children are taught various moral
principles and values, which they have to adhere to in everyday transaction. A sense of fear is injected in their minds,
whereby they would rather follow the rules and principles than face the consequences or punishment. Religion
underlines the qualities of piety, truth, solidarity and harmony among human beings. Unfortunately, many wars are
fought in the name of religion. Though the underlying message of all religion is the belief in one supreme power, yet
narrow minded and anti-social elements indulge in unethical and socially irresponsible activities bringing untold miseries
to humanity. As social beings, it is our supreme duty to respect each religion’s value, each member’s preference for
particular religious ideologies and, at the same time, celebrate secularism.

Social Class
The role of social class in socialization cannot be ignored. There is a close link between socialization and social class.
Social class is neither legally defined nor religiously sanctioned. It is generally said to be a stratum of people occupying
similar positions, wealth and income. Our society is sorted or layered into several social classes. The way society’s
resources are distributed is uneven across these layers. The top layers are occupied by people who have more resources
and the lower layers are represented by people who have lesser resources. A social class is marked by a set of people
who share similar status with regard to factors like wealth, income, education, and occupation. Each of these classes has
its own beliefs, attitudes, opinions and world views. So it is but natural that a child born to a particular class will be
socialized by the norms dictated by the social class, which, in turn, are guided by property relations. Here the class role
becomes the primary determinant of the way socialization process is carried out and a potential agent in shaping the
contours of individuals. Position in the class system virtually affects every aspect of life, be it education, political
affiliation, job preference or sexual behaviour. Social class is relevant even in the context of goal setting. Working class
or lower class parents teach their children that success is dependent on conforming to authority. But children of middle
class are directed towards future goals. Their parents emphasize the need for success in studies and reinforce the
function of schools as vital agencies of socialization. Within a particular social class child rearing practices may not be the
same. Sometimes children may be affected by difference in values upheld by the family and the school. At home
cognitive development of a child is not given priority whereas in school academic performance is emphasized. Such

BES -121 SOLVED ASSIGNMENT 2019 Page 4

 http://www.ignouassignmentwala.in/

children are in a state of perpetual confusion. Again, a relationship is seen between the occupational role of the father
and the difference in the socialization-orientations of the children.
2. Describe Kohlberg’s theory of moral development with an example.
SOLUTION

How do people develop morality? This question has fascinated parents, religious leaders, and philosophers for
ages, but moral development has also become a hot-button issue in both psychology and education. Do
parental or societal influences play a greater role in moral development? Do all kids develop morality in similar
ways?

One of the best-known theories exploring some of these basic questions was developed by a psychologist
named Lawrence Kohlberg. His work modified and expanded upon Jean Piaget's previous work to form a
theory that explained how children develop moral reasoning.

Piaget described a two-stage process of moral development while Kohlberg's theory of moral development
outlined six stages within three different levels. Kohlberg extended Piaget's theory, proposing that moral
development is a continual process that occurs throughout the lifespan.

In recent years, Kohlberg's theory has been criticized as being Western-centric with a bias toward men (he
primarily used male research subjects) and with having a narrow worldview based on upper-middle-class value
systems and perspectives.

The Heinz Dilemma: Kohlberg's Approach to the Study of Moral Reasoning

Kohlberg based his theory on a series of moral dilemmas were presented to these participants and they were
also interviewed to determine the reasoning behind their judgments of each scenario.

One example was "Heinz Steals the Drug." In this scenario, a woman has cancer and her doctors believe only
one drug might save her. This drug had been discovered by a local pharmacist and he was able to make it for
$200 per dose and sell it for $2,000 per dose. The woman's husband, Heinz, could only raise $1,000 to buy the
drug. He tried to negotiate with the pharmacist for a lower price or to be extended credit to pay for it over
time. But the pharmacist refused to sell it for any less or to accept partial payments. Rebuffed, Heinz instead
broke into the pharmacy and stole the drug to save his wife. Kohlberg asked, "Should the husband have done
that?"

Kohlberg was not interested so much in the answer to questioning whether Heinz was wrong or right but in
the reasoning for each participant's decision. The responses were then classified into various stages of
reasoning in his theory of moral development.

BES -121 SOLVED ASSIGNMENT 2019 Page 5

 http://www.ignouassignmentwala.in/

Level 1. Preconventional Morality

The earliest stage of moral development, obedience, and punishment is especially common in young children,
but adults are also capable of expressing this type of reasoning. At this stage, Kohlberg says, children see rules
as fixed and absolute. Obeying the rules is important because it is a means to avoid punishment.

At the individualism and exchange stage of moral development, children account for individual points of view
and judge actions based on how they serve individual needs. In the Heinz dilemma, children argued that the
best course of action was the choice that best-served Heinz’s needs. Reciprocity is possible at this point in
moral development, but only if it serves one's own interests.

Level 2. Conventional Morality

Often referred to as the "good boy-good girl" orientation, the interpersonal relationships stage of moral
development is focused on living up to social expectations and roles. There is an emphasis on conformity,
being "nice," and consideration of how choices influence relationships.

This stage is focused on maintaining social order. At this stage of moral development, people begin to consider
society as a whole when making judgments. The focus is on maintaining law and order by following the rules,
doing one’s duty and respecting authority.

Level 3. Postconventional Morality

The ideas of a social contract and individual rights cause people in the next stage to begin to account for the
differing values, opinions, and beliefs of other people. Rules of law are important for maintaining a society,
but members of the society should agree upon these standards.

Kohlberg’s final level of moral reasoning is based on universal ethical principles and abstract reasoning. At this
stage, people follow these internalized principles of justice, even if they conflict with laws and rules.

Criticisms

Kohlberg's theory is concerned with moral thinking, but there is a big difference between knowing what we
ought to do versus our actual actions. Moral reasoning, therefore, may not lead to moral behavior. This is just
one of the many of the criticisms of Kohlberg's theory.

Critics have pointed out that Kohlberg's theory of moral development overemphasizes the concept of justice
when making moral choices. Factors such as compassion, caring, and other interpersonal feelings may play an
important part in moral reasoning.

BES -121 SOLVED ASSIGNMENT 2019 Page 6

 http://www.ignouassignmentwala.in/

Does Kohlberg's theory overemphasize Western philosophy? Individualist cultures emphasize personal rights
while collectivist cultures stress the importance of society and community. Eastern, collectivist cultures may
have different moral outlooks that Kohlberg's theory does not take into account.

Were Kohlberg's dilemma's applicable? Most of his subjects were children under the age of 16 who obviously
had no experience with marriage. The Heinz dilemma may have been too abstract for these children to
understand, and a scenario more applicable to their everyday concerns might have led to different results.

Kohlberg's critics, including Carol Gilligan, have suggested that Kohlberg's theory was gender-biased since all
of the subjects in his sample were male. Kohlberg believed that women tended to remain at the third level of
moral development because they place a stronger emphasis on things such as social relationships and the
welfare of others.

Gilligan instead suggested that Kohlberg's theory overemphasizes concepts such as justice and does not
adequately address moral reasoning founded on the principles and ethics of caring and concern for others.

3. Explain the core life skills that lead to self-understanding and self-management of adolescents with suitable
examples.
SOLUTION CORE LIFE SKILLS THAT LEAD TO SELF – UNDERSTANDING AND SELF – MANAGEMENT OF ADOLESCENTS
1 Self-esteem
2 Self-awareness
3 Assertiveness
4 Coping with stress
5 Coping with emotions

1Self-Esteem
Self-esteem refers to the state of mind of an individual arrived at as a result of accurate and objective assessment of his
or her abilities, affiliations, and influences. The way we think, feel and act depends largely on our self-esteem. It is such a
state of mind that hardly leaves any sphere of your life untouched. Whether or not you are confident, assertive, willing
to take risks, responsible, optimistic, internally-driven and proactive depends to a great extent on your self-esteem.
When your self-esteem takes a downward trend, you begin to show up the tendency to run away from responsibilities,
turn out to be fatalistic, reactive and wait for things to happen rather than take the initiative needed to make them
happen. You become lonely and moody, and get hurt easily, exhibit lack of confidence and wait for approval from

BES -121 SOLVED ASSIGNMENT 2019 Page 7

 http://www.ignouassignmentwala.in/

others. As you lack vision, you fail to set moderately challenging goals and carry them through to success. You will then
hardly get opportunity for experiencing success and the happiness that accompanies it. Enhancing your self- esteem is
important, if you wish to develop a wholesome personality, increase your capacity to learn, and not to fall a victim to
depression and other psychological disturbances. The causes of low self-esteem are many. Lack of clear-cut and
meaningful goals and objectives, self-indulgence, procrastination, lack of self-discipline, harbouring shame, guilt,
remorse, self-pity, comparing yourself and your accomplishments with those of others, depending on others for doing
things, judging yourself for every frailty, shortcoming or mistake are some of the major reasons that prevent you from
cultivating a high level of selfesteem. In case, you wish to nurture a high level of self-esteem, you have to set realistic
goals, develop assertiveness skills, take up responsibility for your own growth and development, monitor your own
emotions and impulses and lead a life of values and principles.

2 Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is knowledge about yourself. It has to do with paying ongoing attention to your internal state such as
your moods and feelings, your beliefs and values, your behaviour and attitudes, etc. and having an impartial assessment
of them. It is a neutral awareness of what is happening in you. It involves awareness about your own emotions, your
behaviour, your locus of control, and your strengths and weaknesses. Individuals with a strong sense of self awareness
can know where they are strong and where they are weak. As we develop awareness about our selfworth, we become
more self-confident. As a result, with the passage of time, we will be more decisive, make sound judgements using the
emotional and cognitive information available within us. In case we lack self-awareness, there are quite a number of
ways to build it up. Introspection and feedback from others are just two of these ways. You may begin your
introspection with a single thought related to some period in the past. Then you allow your mind to gradually work
backward recalling specific incidents, people, places and events associated with that particular period. This type of
reflection about the past, your role in various occasions will give you the required insight about yourself. In spite of
introspection, you may not get to know all what you need about yourself. In that case, asking one of your close relatives
or friends for feedback would be a fine way of knowing more. This will enable you to have another’s opinion about your
strengths and weaknesses, to get assurance whether or not what you are doing is right, to verify whether you see
yourself the same way as others see you. Feedback, be it positive or negative, is important. It gives another’s opinion on
how you behave. It is a way of learning more about yourself and the effects of your behaviour has on others. Unless you
seek feedback, you may never come to know about those aspects. In the absence of feedback, no change can be worked
out. You stand to lose the opportunity to learn and develop.
3 Assertiveness

Assertiveness is not aggression as many take it for. It means knowing our rights well and standing up for them while
remaining conscious about the rights of others. Assertive people are neither aggressive nor abusive. They are neither
garrulous nor over controlled. They have the ability to communicate clearly and unambiguously while remaining
conscious about the needs, wishes and rights of others in any social encounter. They have the capacity to express their
rights with the needed intensity in ways that are appropriate. For example, someone in your class asks you to show the
assignment to copy, but you don’t oblige as the assignment should be done without any help. Individuals who are

BES -121 SOLVED ASSIGNMENT 2019 Page 8

 http://www.ignouassignmentwala.in/

assertive do not resort to sabotage even when they have to disagree with others. In short, what assertiveness envisages
is not something of confrontation but a win-win situation or a constructive compromise. As we have already noted,
assertiveness involves knowing our rights and standing up for them. We have the right to express our feelings, opinions
and beliefs, to say “yes” or “no”, to change our mind, to make reasonable request to others, etc. Merely knowing what
our rights are is not enough. We should also know how to put them across to others in ways that are polite and
unambiguous. Only when we are in a position to convey to others what we want in crystal clear terms will our chances
of getting it improve. Absence of assertiveness can literally ruin your personal growth and force you to lead your life as
per the whims and fancies of others. In fact, if you are not assertive, people might use you like doormats.
4 Coping with Stress
Coping with stress is just another life skill that you need to know. Stress generally refers to the reaction that people
show when they encounter excessive pressure. Depending upon our attitude and our level of tolerance, the pressure we
experience may keep varying. Stress lays much more of a demand on the person’s ability than it can meet. This tension
which is beyond one’s capacity to cope with lead to stress. People tend to experience stress when the pressure becomes
excessive. Causes of stress are many. Every day we are confronted with several situations that produce stress. As a
student, you may feel stressful if you have the habit of postponing your task of learning. What you are supposed to learn
today, you put off for tomorrow. This postponement goes on and on till the exam date approaches. Then you have a lot
of things to study in a little time. It is quite natural to feel tense. Apart from this, your ways of thinking, feeling and
acting, can lead to stress. Similarly, when you are involved in dull and uninteresting tasks, conflict with peers whom you
love, physical ailment, threat to your security, personal loss through death, etc. stress can occur. Even though stress
when it is excessive is harmful, a slight amount of stress is a great source of assistance. It is essential for spurring
motivation providing the stimulation for taking up challenging tasks. To get the most out of life, we require a certain
amount of stress. It would act as an impetus to complete tasks that are important. Thus a mild stress can be a useful
source for creative energy. However, if it is severe, it can turn out to not only damaging but also fatal. Stress is the root
cause of many illnesses. If stress responses are not managed in time, they can lead to fatal consequences such as
hypertension, ulcers, diabetes, muscular dystrophy, etc. If we do not learn to cope with stress, our immune system
would decline and signs of hypertension, neurosis, apathy, and depression, etc. would begin to show up rather early in
life. There are several ways to cope with stress. One of them is to challenge our way of thinking. We need to avoid
preoccupation with debilitating negative thoughts and focus only on our strengths and victories. Similarly we have to
avoid the habit of worrying and projecting the worst that can happen. We also need to assess whether or not worry is
worth the price we pay. Similarly, by getting organized, avoiding procrastination, developing a good sense of humour,
striking a balance between study and leisure, we can keep stress at bay to a great extent.

5 Coping with Emotions

Emotions are powerful feelings that are directed at something or someone. Emotions and impulses propel people to
action. Emotions can be positive or negative. Anger, fear, anxiety, worry etc. are examples of negative emotions while
hope, optimism, love, etc. are examples of positive ones. Emotions, be they positive or negative, would keep on crossing
the mind. We cannot stop them. But whether we entertain them is something that is within our power. In case we
entertain them they can run riot and land us in trouble. We have to intervene in time and put a check on them before
they assume the shape of a monster. Emotional management, however, doesn’t mean total suppression. In fact,
emotions are an important element in our lives. What is required is emotional restraint, some sort of tempered balance

BES -121 SOLVED ASSIGNMENT 2019 Page 9

 http://www.ignouassignmentwala.in/

and wisdom. Total absence of emotions can make our life dull and isolate us from the richness of life. So when emotions
are muted, it can create dullness and distance. When left unchecked, they become pathological and lead us to
depression, over whelming anxiety and raging anger. Unless we keep distressed emotions under check, we will not
experience emotional well- being. Hence, we have to find ways to cope with our emotions. Controlling emotions is
easier said than done. This doesn’t mean that we should allow our emotions to go on unchecked. So when we are under
the grip of strong feelings, we should strive to know precisely what feelings we are presently expressing, name those
feelings and trace the sources from which they spring up. Once we are able to identify our inner feelings and sources
from which they arise, we are in a better position to bring our discretion and rationalization to bear upon them. In the
process, we will be able to assess the pros and cons if we allow our feelings to go unchecked. This will give us a fair idea
as to whether or not to continue with the expression of our feelings or to bring some sort of constraint on them so that
they are expressed appropriately and effectively. Symptoms of deficiency in emotional management manifest
themselves in incidents of violence, juvenile arrest rate for violent crimes, suicide rate of teenagers, rapes and mental
illnesses.

BES -121 SOLVED ASSIGNMENT 2019 Page 10

http://www.ignouassignmentwala.in/

BES -121 SOLVED ASSIGNMENT 2019 Page 11