Application of Sociocultural Theories - Essay Example

APPLICATION OF SOCIOCULTURAL THEORIES and Application of Sociocultural Theories Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of human learning has made great contributions in the sociocultural realm. The theory suggests that social interaction plays a significant role in the process of developing cognition. According to this theory, learning occurs in two levels. The first level is through the interaction with others, whereas the second level is through the integration into the individual’s mental structure. Another salient idea suggested by this theory is that the potential for cognitive development is limited to what is referred to as the zone of proximal development. According to Vygotsky, this zone refers to an area of exploration for which the learner is cognitively prepared but need assistance and social interaction to fully develop. Vygotsky therefore believes that a teacher or a more experienced peer has the ability to provide t he student with what is termed as scaffolding, which helps the student to develop complex skills. This paper provides an insightful analysis of Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory and its relevance in young children is thinking and talking, as well as sociocultural influence in youths’ participation in gambling behavior. According to Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, the most appropriate strategies for supporting the intellectual knowledge and skills of learners as well as enhancing intentional learning include collaborative leaning, modeling, discourse, and scaffolding. As mentioned earlier, his most prominent contribution is the concept of Zone of Proximal Development. In his own words, the Zone of Proximal Development refers to the distance between a child’s actual developmental level as dictated by independent problem solving, and the higher level of potential development as determined by problem solving under adult guidance or with support from more capable peers. In his journal article, Young Children Thinking and Talking: Using sociocultrual theory for multilayered analysis, Robbins (2012) applies the ideas and concepts of Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory in describing the thinking and communication of young children. According to Robbins(2012), Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory provides an rich information base upon which we can understand how the biological line of development and cultural line contribute towards the overall development of children’s thinking. He believes that the lower order mental processes with which children are born with are transformed into higher mental process through interaction with others as well as the mediation of various signs, tools, and culture. One of the key ideas of Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory is that learning takes place on an interpersonal level. He argues that leaning occurs between a person and other people who are engaged in joint sociocultural activity. This is then internalized gradually and transformed on an individual plane. This does not however imply that the leaning and cognitive development is brought about by these physical interactions alone. According to Vygotsky, signs and tools play a significant mediating role in the learning and cognitive development process. In this regard, he believed that the external social world in which the student learns is gradually interiorized. This is then gradually transformed by the child through the mastery of a wide range of signs and tools. According to him, the most important tool is speech. This is because speech plays a significant role in the process of organizing and developing thoughts. Vygotsky argues that the developmental path of speech arises from the external social speech to egocentric speech then to inner speech. Of these, egocentric speech is the most significant. This is because it plays an important intellectual function by forming a vital intermediary between the individual and the social, as well as the inner speech and external speech. According to Vygotsky, egocentric speech is an indication of the child’s developing cognitive maturity. Children eventually begin to develop the capacity to carry out activities through the guidance of their own speech. This occurs after the process of depending on interpersonal as well as external social speech as significant tool on accomplishing activities. It also occurs after receiving guidance from adults or more competent peers in tasks that are difficult to solve independently. According to Vygotsky, signs include speech, symbols include writing and number systems, whereas cultural tools include books and television. These, according to him, bring about a cultural heritage as well as a history with them. Learning through these signs, tools, and symbols enables people to integrate and draw on the experiences of other. Most importantly, these signs and cultural tools provide a link between cultural and individual mental functioning. Vygotsky believes that children possess a wide range of lower order mental processes right from birth. These include perception, elementary attention, as well as lower order memory. As time goes by, these lower order mental processes are progressively transformed into higher mental function with the mediation of signs, symbol systems and tools. Through inner and egocentric speech, children become less impulsive, less dominated by their perceptions, and more able to control their won thinking and actions. They gain more control of their memory, perception, attention, and other forms of thoughts and activity. One of the greatest aspects of higher order thinking is the development of memory. Vygotsky indentified two kinds of remembering. These are direct remembering and mediated remembering. Direct remembering involves remembering without the aid of some supplementary means whereas mediated remembering involves the use of some auxiliary means. According to him, when children use mediated remembering, they are able to perform differently on tasks. During early childhood, children tend to use direct remembering. As the child learn to use signs and symbols to aid memory, higher order behavior develops. The report by Allen, Madden & Brooks (2008) entitled The Virtual Jackpot: The socio-cultural and environmental context of youth gambling analyzes the relevance of socio-cultural influence in gambling behavior among the youth. Overwhelming research reveal an alarming incidence of problem related to gambling especially to people under the age of 25 years. Existing evidence ascertain that the development and maintained of the increased gambling behaviors among the youth is perpetrated by multidimensional factors such as social, cultural, familial, emotional, environmental, personality as well as cognitive factors. The report by Allen et al. (2008) reveals that young people believe that participation in gambling has the ability to enhance and complement their social interaction. This is one their main motive towards involving in gambling activities. They also established that young people take part in gambling with the aim of relieving boredom. They believe that winning maintains their gambling behaviors. On the other hand, the experience of losing also encourages them to gamble further. In most cases, their desire to win often overrides their rationalization of the probability of a win. Moreover, Allen et al. (2008) established that family members have significant impact on the young people’s gambling attitudes and behavior. This is also the case with peer pressure. There exist other situational and structural factors that facilitate gambling behaviors. For instance, the ease with which the young people can access gambling opportunities encourage gambling. Alcohol consumption also plays a significant role in the development of gambling habits. Consumption of alcohol motivates gambling behavior in majority of the youth. This is because it increases impulsive gambling decisions and heightens the desire to take financial risks. It is evident that the gambling problem takes a socio-cultural dimension. This is because a set of social, familial and personality factors play a significant role in the maintenance of gambling behavior among the young people. Research has revealed that certain familial factors increase the prevalence of adolescence gambling. For instance, adolescents who exhibit gambling problems are more likely to have a parent who is a gambler or has some other form of addiction. This explains why the rate of gambling for adolescents whose parent gamble is higher than that of adolescents whose parents are non-gamblers. The role of family in the development of gambling behavior can be best explained by social learning theory. In this regard, observational leaning and modeling shape the behavior of young people who learn to replicate as well as preserve the gambling behavior that are visible and reinforced. As mentioned earlier, peers also play a significant role in reinforcing gambling behavior. This can also be explained through social learning theory. Peer behavior mace significantly impact on youth gambling patterns. Overwhelming research has consistently revealed that adolescents exhibit gambling behavior because of their peers’ engagement in similar practices. According to sociological theory and social learning theory, similarity and peer affiliation are important factors in the development of risk behavior. In this regard, individuals take part and relate to peer groups with similar beliefs, values, and interests. Social learning theory argues that youth may be attracted towards gambling behavior because being acknowledged as a gambler among peers may lead to social recognition, approval, and peer acceptance. Most peers perceive gambling as a display of courage and willingness to take risks. For this reason, those who gamble are often admired by their peers. Thus, young people often take part in gambling activities with the aim of achieving peer acceptance, recognition, approval, and admiration. In conclusion, sociocultrual theories are relevant in our society in many ways. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of human learning provides a comprehensive explanation of how children develop their thinking and talking as analyzed by Robbin(2012). Conversely, Allen, Madden & Brooks (2008) analyze relevance of sociocultrual theories in the acquisition and maintenance of gambling behavior among the youth. According to them, familial and peer factors play a significant role in influencing youths’ participation in gambling behavior. References Allen, K. Madden, J., & Brooks, K. 2008. The Virtual Jackpot: the socio-cultural and environmental context of youth gambling. Community Solutions Incorporated. Robbins. J. 2012. Young Children Thinking and Talking: Using sociocultural theory for multilayered analysis. Learning and socio cultural theory: exploring modern Vygotskian perspectives. 1.1 p.45-65. Vygotsky’s Sociacultural Theory. 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