Skip to main content
Log in

The remarkable social competence of young children

  • Published:
International Journal of Early Childhood Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this article the author discusses the kinds of social conflicts that are subject to social regulation — namely, those involving moral dilemmas and those revolving around customs, safety, and institutional rules. A summary is provided of the current research on moral understanding and social conflict resolution, describing the cognitive-developmental approach and social learning theory. The author then summarizes the results of her research which have indicated that there is a high degree of agreement in social rule understanding between children and adults. The major implications of this research for early childhood education are discussed.

Resumen

L’auteure discute dans cet article les formes de conflits sociaux qui servent pour établir des règles sociales, spécialement celles qui impliquent des dilemmes d’ordre moral, celles qui refèrent à des règles institutionnelles de securité et des moeurs. Un résumé sur les études récentes portant sur la compréhension morale et sur la résolution de conflits sociaux est offert, ainsi qu’une description de l’approche cognitive-développementale et de la théorie d’apprentissage sociale. Par la suite, l’auteure synthétise les résultats de sa recherche laquelle indique qu’il existe un haut niveau d’accord dans la compréhension des règles sociales entre les enfants et les adultes. Les implications majeures de cette étude sont analysées dans le contexte de l’éducation de la petite enfance.

Résumé

En este artículo la autora discute las formas de conflictos sociales que se prestan para regulaciones sociales especialmente aquellas que implican dilemas morales y aquellas que se refieren a reglas de costumbres, de seguridad y relativas a las instituciones. Se provee un resomen de los recientes estudios sobre comprehensión moral y resolución de conflictos sociales y se describre el enfoque cognitivodesarrollo integral y la teoría de aprendizaje social. La autora sintetiza luego los resultados de su investigación la cual indica que existe un alto grado de acuerdo en la comprehensión social entre los niños y los adultos. Se analizan las implicaciones mayores de este estudio dentro del campo de educación parvularia.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • D’Andrade, R.G. (1981). The cultural part of cognition.Cognitive Science, 179–195.

  • DiMartino, E.C. (1987). The relationship between age, sex and the language of social regulation. In B. Fillion, C. Hedley & E. DiMartino (Eds.),Home and School: Early Language Reading. New Jersey: Ablex.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glick, J. (1978). Cognition and social cognition: An introduction. In J. Glick & A. Clarke-Stewart (Eds.),The development of social understanding, pp. 1–10, New York: Gardner.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L. (1969). Stage and sequence: the cognitive-developmental approach to socialization. In D.A. Goslin (Ed.),Handbook of socialization theory and research (pp. 347–480). Chicago: Rand McNally.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, J. (1986). Early Cross-Cultural Commonalities in Social Explanation.Developmental Psychology, 22, p. 514–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Much, N.C., & Shweder, R.A. (1978). Speaking of Rules: The analysis of culture in breach. In W. Damon (Ed.),New Directions for Child Development: Moral Development (pp. 24–49). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nisbett, R.E., Borgida, E., Crandall, R., Reed, H. (1976). Popular induction: In J.S. Carroll & J.W. Payne (Eds.),Cognition and Social behaviour (pp. 122–159). Hillsdale, N.J.: L. Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nucci, L.P., & Turiel, E. (1980). Social interactions and the development of social concepts in pre-school children.Child Development, 49, 400–407

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nucci, L.P. (1981). Forms of social interaction and the domains of social understanding. Paper presented at the biennial meeting of The Society For Research In Child Development, Boston, April, 1981.

  • Piaget, J. (1932/1965).The moral judgement of the child. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piaget, J. (1970). Piaget’s theory. In P. Mussen (Ed.),Carmichael’s handbook of child psychology (pp. 8–29). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pool, D.L., Shweder, R.A., & Much, N.C. (1980). Culture as a cognitive system: Differentiated rule understandings in children and other savages. In E. T. Higgins, D.H. Rable & W. W. Mallup (Eds.),Social cognition and social behaviour: Developmental perspectives (pp. 112–188). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shultz, T.R., Wright, K. & Schleifer, M. (1986). Assignment of Moral Responsibility and Punishment.Child Development. 57, 177–184.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shweder, R.A., Turiel, E., & Much, N.C. (1980). In L. Ross & J. Havell (Eds),New directions in the study of socialcognitive development (pp. 71–98). London: Cambridge University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shweder, R.A. (1982a). Beyond self-constructed knowledge: The study of culture and morality.Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 28, 41–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shweder, R.A., Mahapatra, M. & Miller, J. (1987). Culture and moral development. In J. Kagan & S. Lamb (Eds.),The emergence of morality in young children. (pp. 1–83). Chicago: University of Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smetana, J. (1984). Morality and Gender: A commentary on Pratt, Golding and Hunter.Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 30, 341–348.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smetana, J. (1986). Preschool children’s conceptions of sex-role transgressions.Child Development. 57, 862–871.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turiel, E., Killen, M. & Helving, C. (1987). Morality: Its structure, functions, and vagaries. In J. Kagan & S. Lamb (Eds.),The emergence of morality in young children. (pp. 155–244. Chicago; University of Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

DiMartino, E.C. The remarkable social competence of young children. IJEC 22, 23 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03174594

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03174594

Keywords

Navigation