Chapter 3: SOCIAL LITERACY

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 thought, speech, actions and motivation that adhere
to a standard of right and wrong.
 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."

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.'

Several Types of Social Skills

1. 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.
2. 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.
Being a good conversationalist requires turn-taking and reciprocity, Children have to
listen as well as talk. If they do not show an interest in what the other person has to say,
 they probably will not be interested in talking. Impulsive children often have trouble
knowing when to talk and when to listen.
3. Understanding the listener - Once a conversation is initiated, it has to be maintained. In
order to do that, it is 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.
4. Empathizing - Empathy is more than perspective taking: it means that one is able 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Apologizing - Everyone makes social mistakes at one time or a person with good social
skills is confident enough to make a since apology for her error. This is a courageous act
and is the quickest act and easiest way to correct social blunder. In reality, other people
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 social skills. Parents can
directly teach social skills by modeling, role-playing, and providing opportunities for
their child to rehearse and practice new skills. They should encourage and praise the
child for successfully using a new skill.
 Professionals typically intervene only when children are having substantial social
difficulty with peers.
 School is the place where children spend the majority of their time with peers. It is,
therefore, a natural and perfect setting for children to learn and practice social skills.
  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. They should be alert to teasing
and bullying and aware of children that are rejected or ignored by their peers. They
should work cooperatively with the children's parents to prevent the humiliation,
embarrassment, and distress that befall these children.

Issues in Teaching Social Literacy

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.

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. This, in effect, pulls the rug out from under any and all attempts at true
justice and equitability, since they themselves rely on a fixed moral standard.

Interestingly, many of those who insist on a subjective moral standard will be the first to
demand for a fixed moral standard when they themselves fall victim to a subjective morality's
inevitable outcome.

 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.
  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 taught 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 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.
Prepared by: Jamaliah T. Abdul Mojib