Question

How does the sense of self develop during preschool years? What are some cultural variations in how the self is defined and developed? How do children begin to develop a positive self-esteem? Provide examples to support your response.

Answer 1

How does the sense of self develop during preschool years?

Infants at about 18 months start to develop a sense of self and are able to reflect on themselves from the perspective of somebody else. One indication of this new objective self-awareness is that children start recognising themselves in a mirror or photograph

Twenty-month-old Kayla, for example, manages to unlatch the cupboard door to the diapering supplies. As she reaches into this forbidden territory, she glances over her shoulder, looking for her teacher. She is conscious of her teacher's reactions to her behavior. Infants are especially sensitive during this period and can feel shamed if they receive harsh criticism.

Pre-schoolers emerging language skills also help them express themselves. They usually try doing every task by themselves and become more independent and usually say sentences like "Me do! Not you!". Their feelings are strong, and their sense of self is still fragile, so they need to assert themselves and protest limits.

They usually are very excited at showing off the new skills they have learnt for e.g. showing their parents how high they can go up on swing. Feeling autonomous, preschoolers see themselves as separate and unique individuals. They define themselves in concrete terms. Included in this internal picture of the image that preschoolers have of themselves are such things as their physical attributes, names, ages, genders, social affiliations, possessions, and abilities. A young child's self-image tends to be descriptive, rather than judgmental.

Parents may notice that by the time they are three-years-old, their child is motivated to make amends for wrongdoing, can be proud of their own behaviour, or hides when unhappy about something they have done.

Although forming one's self-concept is a lifelong process, how the child feels about himself in the early years (positive or negative) can set a pattern for the rest of his life.

What are some cultural variations in how the self is defined and developed?

Children develop a sense of self “by participating in interactions that caregivers structure according to cultural values about the nature of human existence” (Raeff 1997). Therefore, notions of what constitute a positive self concept also differs in every culture.

In Western cultures, striving towards independence and asserting oneself are seen as important accomplishments. As a consequence, Westerners perceive children who are outgoing as demonstrating competence and having a positive self concept, compared to the children who do not appear to seek out and actively participate. However in Eastern cultures place greater emphasis on maintaining harmonious and interdependent relationships. The interdependent views are also characteristic of many African, Latin American, and southern European cultures. For e.g., in a study when asked about desirable child behavior, mothers from Latino cultures, such as Spanish speaking Puerto Rican mothers focussed on respectfulness (respecto), a concept which assumes appropriate interrelatedness. In contrast the Anglo mothers in one study focused on autonomy and active exploration, reflecting more independent values.

In cultures influenced by Confucian and Taoist philosophies, for e.g. People’s Republic of China, self-restraint and control of emotional expressiveness is considered an indication of social maturity. Asserting or expressing oneself may be seen as a sign of immaturity. Children who are reticent and quiet are likely to be considered competent and well behaved by parents and teachers in such cultures. However, Taiwanese and immigrant Chinese parents seem to encourage independence so that children will be able to succeed in the larger society.

How do children begin to develop a positive self-esteem?

By the age of three, children have a clearer understanding of who they are and how they fit into the world they know. They have begun learning about their bodies and that, within limits, they are able to think and make decisions on their own. They can handle time away from their parents or primary caregivers because they feel safe on their own or with other children and adults. They develop their self-esteem in mostly physical ways, by comparing their appearance to that of other children, such as height, size, agility, and abilities.

Preschoolers learn self-esteem in stages through developing their senses of trust, independence, and initiative. They develop a positive self-esteem when they are involved in tasks that give them a sense of accomplishment, their opinions are asked and listened to, they are encouraged to express themselves, they are introduced to social settings, especially with their peers. Young children learn self-esteem through what they can do and what their parents or teachers think of them. So, an immediate positive verbal and visual reinforcement about their accomplishments is very necessary in development of a positive self-esteem.