CH 7 Friendships and Play in Middle Childhood Across CulturesV14 Dubover

Summary

During middle childhood, friendships become more significant and are often based on trust and gender association. In Botswana, 8-year-old Gracious enjoys school and bonds with friends who share her interests. In rural Mexico, 9-year-old Perla values the social aspect of school despite many children not attending. Boys and girls tend to play separately, with boys engaging in high-energy, competitive activities and girls preferring quieter, cooperative play. In the US, Julie observes her rambunctious boys' aggressive play compared to the calmer, imaginative play of girls like Gracious and Perla.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Friendships become increasingly important during middle childhood as children experience more socialization at school.
• 🚻 Friendships at this age are often based on selective association, with gender being a significant factor.
• 🤝 Trust becomes a crucial element in friendships during middle childhood.
• 🏡 In rural Botswana, 8-year-old Gracious enjoys spending time with friends who share similar characteristics.
• 🎒 In rural Mexico, many children in Mayan villages do not attend elementary school due to work obligations at home.
• 📚 Perla, a 9-year-old from Mexico, enjoys the social environment of school and prefers playing with girls.
• 🏃 Boys generally engage in high-activity, aggressive, and competitive play with their friends.
• 🧸 Girls tend to engage in quieter, more cooperative play with their friends.
• ⚽ Julie, a mother in the United States, observes that her three boys play aggressively compared to their girl peers.
• 🎨 Girls often enjoy imaginative and cooperative games, such as playing house or setting up art tables, while boys engage in more physical and chaotic play.

Q & A

What is the significance of friendships during middle childhood in most cultures?

During middle childhood, friendships become increasingly important as children experience more socialization at school with children their own age and start to form bonds based on selective association and trust.

Why does Gracious, an 8-year-old from a rural village in Botswana, prefer to be friends with those who have similar characteristics?

Gracious is drawn to friends with similar characteristics because it is typical for children her age to form friendships based on shared traits, such as interests and personality.

What are some of the activities that Gracious and her friends engage in together?

Gracious and her friends do their homework, read, play together, and even play hide and seek at night with other kids from their neighborhood.

Why do many children in the Mayan village in rural Mexico not attend elementary school?

Many children in the Mayan village do not attend elementary school because they are needed at home to work alongside their parents, indicating a cultural and economic influence on education.

What does Perla, a 9-year-old from rural Mexico, enjoy about the social environment of school?

Perla particularly enjoys the social environment of school, which suggests that she values the friendships and interactions with peers of her age.

Why does Perla prefer to play with girls?

Perla's preference for playing with girls is common at her age, as studies have shown that children tend to engage in same-gender play, with boys and girls often having different play styles.

How does Julie, a mother of three boys, describe the style of play among her children?

Julie describes the style of play among her boys as very aggressive, compared to their girl peers, highlighting the difference in play styles between genders.

What does Julie believe helps to provide discipline and structure in her boys' lives?

Julie believes that athletics, especially football, provide a sense of discipline and structure for her boys, which they seem to enjoy due to its aggressive nature.

What types of games do Gracious in Africa and Perla in Mexico prefer to play with their friends?

Both Gracious and Perla prefer to play more imaginative games with their friends, such as playing house with toys, which contrasts with the more aggressive play styles of boys.

Why does Gracious choose to play more with girls rather than boys?

Gracious prefers to play with girls because she finds that boys tend to be more aggressive and pushy during play, which she and her friends do not enjoy.

How does the play style of boys differ from that of girls according to the script?

The script suggests that boys generally engage in high-activity, aggressive, and competitive play, while girls spend time in quieter, more cooperative play.