WESTERN MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY

SIAY EXTERNAL STUDIES UNIT

Dacanay, Siay , Zamboanga Sibugay

CHAPTER 3
SOCIAL LITERACY

OBJECTIVES
At the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
•Develop understanding of the working definition of social literacy:
• the roles of parents and teachers in teaching social skills to children; and
•Discuss and examine issues in social literacy.

Social literacy
- concerns itself with the development of social skills, knowledge and positive human values
that enable human beings to act positively and responsibly in range of complex social settings.
- It is the knowledge of how to behave and treat other people in a way that is morally upright,
just, and equitable, with a view of promoting positive and productive relations that are free
from unfair prejudices, hate, and discrimination.
By morally upright, we refer to thoughts, speech, actions, and motivations that adhere to a
standard of right and wrong. On the other hand, just refers to speech, actions, and behaviors
that are in-line with a fixed standard of justice-a system that promotes and rewards good and
at the same time punishes wrongdoing.
Equitable are the speech, actions, behaviors, and decisions that treat others fairly,
regardless of background or circumstances. Not to be confused with equality, which connotes a
fixed standard of treatment for all people, equity seeks the good of others, and labors to find
means by which everyone gets “what they need” rather than simply “everyone gets the same
thing in the same amount.”
•Peers and schools
- It plays a formative role on the social skills development of children.
3 inter-related components of social skills (Arthur, Davison, & Stow, 2000):
•Social perception
•Social cognition
•Social performance

• Social skill
-is defined in literature as ‘the ability to interact with others in a given social context in specific
ways that are socially acceptable or valued and at the same time personally beneficial, mutually
beneficial, or primarily beneficial to others.’
 There are several types of social skills that must be mastered for a child to be socially adept.
These range from the ability to initiate, maintain, and end a conversation to reading social
signals to more complex skills such as solving problems and resolving conflict (Lawson, 2003).
Children with social skill deficits can be taught these skills directly by parents, teachers, and/or
professionals using the strategies of modeling, role-playing, rehearsal and practice.
•Greeting- Children develop relationships with peers by interacting with them. The first step in
a social interaction is greeting someone. Greeting others is done not only with words like “Hi!”
or “How are you?” but with facial expressions, tone of voice, and gestures such as a nod or a
wave. The nonverbal part of greeting someone is just as important as the words. It is not so
much what one says but how he/ she it that lets people know he/she is glad to see them.
•Initiating Conversation -In order to carry on a conversation, a child must be able to initiate,
maintain and close conversation appropriately. This requires good listening and attention skills,
as well as the ability to take turns and probe for missing information.
•Understanding the listener -Once a conversation is initiated, it has to be maintained. In order
to do that, it important to understand the audience one is talking to. A socially adept child
quickly and unconsciously identifies and categorizes his listener, measures what he/she has
planned to say against the anticipated response of the listener, and then proceeds, alters, or
avoids what she has planned to say. He/She knows that talking to authority figures is not done
in the same way when talking to peers.
•Empathizing -Empathy is more than perspective taking; it means that one is to feel what the
other person feels. Empathy allows one to really connect with other people. Other children
often think of children who lack empathy as mean, unkind, or self-centered.
•Reading Social Cues-It is very important to read social cues in a conversation. Cues are the
hints and signals that guide us to the next thing to say or do. Social cues can be verbal or
nonverbal. Verbal cues are the words that the other person is saying. Tone of voice is an
important part of verbal cues. Good detectives pay very close attention to nonverbal cues.
•Previewing or Planning -Conversations also require that one previews or thinks about what
effect the words or actions may have on the listener before she says or does them. If the impact
will be negative, one can adjust what she might say or do.
•Problem-Solving- Problems and conflict are often a part of social interactions. Someone may
not agree, get angry, insult, or become aggressive at something that one says. How one reacts
to these conflicts depends on how good her problem solving skills are. Conflicts cannot be
avoided and are often necessary to “clear the air.” Turning a conflict from a “win-lose” situation
to a “win-win” situation is the best way to resolve conflict. This requires negotiation and
compromise, give and take that results in a situation where all parties can live with and help
maintain friendships.
•Apologizing – Everyone makes social mistakes at one time or another. A person with good
social skills is confident enough to make sincere apology for her error. This is a courageous act
and is the quickest and easiest way to correct a social blunder. In reality, other people usually
have a higher opinion of someone who apologizes for making a mistake. Apologizing is a sign of
humble and mature character when one commits mistakes.

The Role of Parents and Teachers in Teaching Social Skills to Children

• Parents typically play the major role in teaching children’s social skills.
• Parents can directly teach social skills by modeling, role-playing, and providing
opportunities for their child to rehearse and practice new skills.
• Professionals typically intervene only when children are having substantial social
difficulty with peers.
 • Children must then generalize the skills they learn in the group to school and other
personal social situations.
• School is the place where children spend the majority of their time with peers. While
teachers do not have to teach a class in social skills, they can take advantage of every
opportunity to help children improve their social skills.
• Pairing a socially inept child with a socially adept one. Involving children in cooperative
instead of competitive learning exercises, identifying and acknowledging the strengths
of all children, understanding social weaknesses, and creating an environment in which
diversity is accepted and celebrated can greatly enhance all children’s social abilities,
sense of belongingness, and self-esteem, not just in the classroom but in life as well.

ISSUES IN TEACHING SOCIAL LITERACY

How children develop their social literacy is intrinsically a contextual matter and is not
something that can be easily traced in a linear or developmental fashion. The acquisition of
social literacy is a complex process that is historically and culturally conditioned and context-
specific. Children learn through social practices, both explicit and implicit, and become human
through social interaction. Nevertheless, it is also the case that children engage in social activity
before they are taught it; in other words, children are disposed to be social before they learn
what sociability is all about.
There are two distinct ways of answering the question on how children learn to live socially
with each other and with adults. The first view is normative and communal. From their culture,
children learn customs that provide them with a guide to act in ways that minimize conflict. The
second view is pragmatic and individualistic. The social order of children is created by explicit
and implicit agreements entered into by self-seeking individuals to avert the worst
consequences of their selfish instincts (Arthur, Davison, & Stow, 2000). In this last view, social
order is dependent on sanctions and formal agreements. Rules are obeyed because they confer
personal advantage on a child. In the normative view, children are persuaded of the moral force
of acting socially through their voluntary associations with others, both in their immediate
circle, such as the family, and In the wider community, for example, through membership of a
church or club. The child in this normative view will not only know the correct behavior but will
perform the role without any need for regular, conscious reference to the rules governing it.
Teaching social literacy in schools is not as easy as it appears to be due to subjective
standards of morality and inherent human capacity to judge and make excuses.
Subjective Standards of Morality
The natural outcome of postmodern philosophies is that truth and morality are considered
subjective and open to individual interpretation. This can be seen in the current culture, where
actions and behavioral patterns that were once considered bad have now become acceptable-
so much so that many now consider them to be even good. When the standard of measure
between good and bad changes, this gives us license to change as well and opens the gates to
all kinds of abuse.
Human Nature
While we would all like to believe that people are inherently good, experience has taught us
that the inherent goodness of humanity is, at best, unreliable: Sometimes it is there, often it is
not. We are quick to champion the cause of moral uprightness, justice, and equity, but balk
when our words and actions come under their scrutiny. In other words, we insist that others be
judged according to a fixed moral standard, but invoke a subjective one when our own behavior
is questioned. We demand justice when we perceive ourselves to be victims of wrongdoing, but
we surround ourselves with excuses when we do wrong. We insist that others treat us
equitably, but are reluctant when treating others with equity costs more than we expected.
 Today’s students have grown up with the Internet that they have become inseparable from
their gadgets. Blake (2017) offers helpful reminders to young professionals in terms of social
skills in the modern age. This situation underscores the importance of educating students in
what could be called social literacy to academic and career success.
Situational Awareness in the Workplace
While casual office attire has become the norm in many offices, job interviews typically
require more formal dress and behavior to demonstrate a level of respect. Stories prevail of
young adults showing up to interviews in casual clothing, texting, or using phones during job
interviews or even bringing their parents with them. Such behavior demonstrates a lack of
situational awareness about what is appropriate to do in different social circumstances. While
college classrooms or the actual office atmosphere may allow for a more casual dress code,
students need to be fought what is socially acceptable in terms of dress or behavior for them to
stand out above their colleagues. An ability to read social situations illustrates strength to
employers-quickly picking up on a client’s mood or expectations in various business or cross-
cultural situations can be the difference between success and failure.
Social Intelligence in Technological Communication
Text-speak and technology use have affected many young people’s ability to communicate.
While email has deformalized much of the communication process, students still need to
ensure their writing denotes respect and provides enough context for professors (or future
employers) to readily respond. In addition, text-speak has reduced students’ ability to
communicate using correct grammar. Through studying particular communication genres and
what they demand, students can learn more about what individual situations demand in terms
of the formality of communication. For example, if a professor signs an email with “Dr. Smith,”
this is a fairly good indication that he expects to be addressed as such and not informally by his
first name.
Social Intelligence in Traditional Communication
While email has taken over as the primary method of communication, traditional modes of
discourse still exist. For example, many employers still expect cover letters in addition to
resumes, and the lack of a thank-you note for a gift is often perceived as more than a simple
social oversight. An ability to craft these types of documents illustrates an understanding of
social expectations and denotes a level of respect or appreciation. While not related to the
traditional educational canon, learning to properly write a cover letter or business letter or a
thank-you card not only teaches students that these documents exist and are often necessary
but also shows them how to craft such documents, saving them time and energy in the future.