The Amelioration Of Socialization Through Communication, For Children In Family Homes

Abstract

The human is, by nature, a communicational being, and communication is the essential process by which each person becomes what it is and comes into relationship with others. The methods used in the study of communication shows us that this is one of the constituents of social life; it is necessarily present in the group. Communication occurs almost simultaneously with the emergence of information exchange. The degree of the fulfilment of needs in childhood, puberty and adolescence is a clear indicator of the possibilities of further integration in the social life of future adults. The problem of children in orphanages is one of great interest. That's because we must respect each person's individual needs, and the children from orphanages are hard to accept because of the existing prejudices in society about them. The aims of the research are: Identifying the initial degree of socialization of children in institutions; -The establishment of an intervention program in the socialization of children, along with the psychologist, the social worker, the social pedagogue and the parents; -Identifying the further degree of sociability of the institutionalized children.

Keywords: Childrencommunicationsocializationinstitutions

Introduction

The human is, by nature, a communicational being and communication is the essential process by

which each person becomes what it is and comes into relationship with others (Golu, 2002).

The methods used in the study of communication shows us that this is one of the constituents of

social life; it is necessarily present in the group. Communication occurs almost simultaneously with the

emergence of information exchange (Cosmovici, 1996).

The degree of the fulfillment of needs in childhood, puberty and adolescence is a clear indicator of

the possibilities of further integration in the social life of future adults (Gavrilă-Ardelean, 2014).

The problem of children in orphanages is one of great interest. That's because we must respect

each person's individual needs, and the children from orphanages are hard to accept because of the

existing prejudices in society about them (Dascălu, 2003).

Friendships and relationships of the adolescents do not occur spontaneously or easily. They are

built and evolve in a context of interpersonal communication. That is why this social process is so

important. If the communication is easier, the social relations are more positive.

Communication is one of the constituents of social life. It is necessarily present in a group.

Communication occurs concomitantly with the emergence of information exchange.

From a pedagogical point of view, ′communication is a transmission of messages between the

emitter (the teacher) and the receiver (student), based on the curricula, in the educational process

conducted in schools′(Ştefan, 2006, p.61).

Communication is a form of interpersonal interaction. Its absence or insufficiency causes social

adaptation crisis and behavioral disorders.

Philosophically, communication is a process whereby one or more people transmit a value

judgment, an attitude or an emotional state.

In terms of the general theory of information, communication represents a transfer of information

from one source to another, and from psycholinguistic perspective, it is a transfer of meaning through

non-verbal language.

Psychologically, communication is considered ′an information that is processed between the most

insignificant two human communicators introduced in a context and placed in a situation′(Asher; 1994,

p;620); The author states, on the other hand, that the term ′communication′ can also be called ′any

message used in different contexts and situations′ (Asher, 1994, p. 614-615).

Communication is therefore a process of transmitting a sense from someone to someone else. This

transmission process is done using a system of signs. The meaning is coded in the signs used for its

transmission. To receive and understand the meaning means to take the signs (to hear them or see them)

and to proceed to decode them accordance with the sign rules.

Therefore, communication is a complex system, marked by a combination of factors involving a

flexibility of roles, an interaction.

We chose this topic because the essence of communication consists of relational and interactional

processes and any human behavior has a communicative value.

This research debates communication as an educational act in the socialization of children

institutionalized in family homes.

The present study shows the importance of communication in social relational and interactional

processes. The individual relevance is that the human behavior has a communicative value.

Research Methodology

Results Of Research

Starting Statistical Indices

After applying the scale 5 FPI, to evaluate the sociability level of children who are protected to the

foundation, the following statistical indices:

The value of minimum and maximum scores – the number obtained by subjects after applying the

questionnaire;

Average;

Standard Deviation.

Minimum and maximum values are limits within which the scores realized by subjects are found.

The average is the sum of the scores divided by the number of subjects. This is a descriptor of a set

of data belonging to the sample (Gavrilă-Ardelean, 2012).

Standard deviation (std. Deviation) is the way of dispersion of data around the average.

Following the questionnaire measuring degree of sociability, the experimental group during pretest

statistics indications results in table 1 , appears that the degree of sociability in the experimental group

ranges from 8-18, means a low- medium sociability environment level.

Following the questionnaire measuring degree of sociability, the control group during pre-test

statistics indications results in table 1 , appears that the degree of sociability in the control group ranges

from 8-15, means a low- medium sociability environment level.

In the same table, the questionnaire in the post-test, when the children were not involved in a

program, sociability has not changed significantly, ranges from 10 to 17, which means low-medium level.

See Full Size >

Figure 1 is a graphical representation of two groups degree of sociability development - control

and experimental group, both during the pre-test and post-test.

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Conclusions

The development of self-confidence is an ideal and a necessity for the teenager who lives in the

institutionalized environment to feel safe and cared for. Their trust is ephemeral and has to be considered

present until proven otherwise; among teenagers it is very limited.Trust is given to only a few people

because the institutionalized adolescents were disappointed, victimized, injured, betrayed by colleagues,

abused by older teens or indifferent adults (Bilan, 2007).

Friendships and special relationships do not appear out of nowhere, they evolve from spontaneous

situations like chance meetings or school attendance, but they lack intimate character.

Adolescents expect adults to trust them, to maintain the confidentiality, to support them, not to

judge them, in one word – models (Dumitrana, 2000).

The objective of this program was to prepare the adolescents for their integration in the society, by

helping them develop a system of values to lead them to a better life.

The majority of institutionalized children have psychological problems that affect their ability to

cope with the stress implied by the life of a teenager. They start their teenager experience with a

handicap. Overcoming this handicap requires knowing how they were taught to behave and how they

cope with the adolescent status. Adolescence is a unique experience for institutionalized children

(Dumitrana, 2000).

The institutionalized teenagers know that they have few personal belongings, little privacy and

have to share everything in order to get along well with the others.

Based on the rules of the institution, the teenagers learn that they have to cooperate, to follow the

instructions, to obey the rules, to wait for their turn, not to be wasteful. This way, their individuality is

suppressed almost completely. Attachment and a family feeling are almost nonexistent. Some adolescents

are successful. Others feel lonely. Most of them, however, have a negative self image, are desperately

seeking affection, closeness and love from adults.

Most institutionalized adolescents know what they need, but most social interactions cause stress,

and for them it is difficult to establish what is good and what is bad. Therefore, these adolescents need

guidance, a mentor, a model and supervision.

During the activities with the children, it was found that better communication, greater

transparency and more rigorous information lead to better integration into society and to better

interpersonal relationships.

To conduct the program there were used:

Two hours per week, that were attended by all eight children in the experimental group;

The Educational Centre of the Foundation;

The work team composed of an educational director and educator.

The topics debated were focused in particular on respect, acceptance, confidence and character

development; therefore there were applied: a sociability assessment scale, questionnaires and various

other methods, that gave us indices on the adolescent’s status. The more the teenager is able to empathize

well – to listen to others, to respect them, to communicate, to consider the feelings, to work in a team, the

more he will succeed to communicate better and to be an adapted person.

Recommendations needed for continuing information and communication with institutionalized adolescents are:

Establishing a centre where teens can come to receive counselling;

Improving the relationship between the employees and adolescents from the institution through a

better communication and a greater transparency (Gavrilă-Ardelean & Moldovan, 2014);

Building a personalized plan taking into account the socio-professional orientation, interests and

socio-cultural needs of the teenager.The research impact is given by demonstrating that communication activities lead to better socialization of institutionalized children and that, if stimulated, interpersonal communication, socialization of institutionalized children is enhanced. Adolescents who were included in the research were integrated more easily into society, on the basis of a better communication.

The intervention program to improve the socialization of institutionalized children, which developed from this study, can be applied to other children in similar situations, helping them to develop a system of values that leads them to a better life and social integration.

Acknowledgements

The manuscript is unpublished work, it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere and if

accepted, it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, either in English or in any other language,

without the consent of the publisher.

Bring to the Editor’s attention any Conflict of Interest: The authors don′t have any Conflict of

Interest.

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