Social Environment – JSS1 Social Studies Lesson Note (First Term)

A social environment is the group of individuals and institutions with whom a person interacts.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. define social environment and social organisation;
2. name the types of social groups and tell a primary group from a secondary group;
3. state the characteristics of a primary group;
4. define a family and describe the types of family;
5. state the roles and responsibilities of the father, the mother and the children in a family.

What is a social environment?

A social environment is the group of individuals and institutions with whom a person interacts.

It is made up of the following parts:

• Customs: the accepted ways of doing things in a community, such as festivals and marriage rites.
• Language: the means of communication in the community, such as Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and English.
• Norms: the rules of acceptable behaviour, such as greeting elders with respect.
• Dress: the clothes people wear, which often show their culture.
• Primary groups: small groups with close, lasting relationships, such as the family.
• Secondary groups: larger groups formed for a purpose, such as a school or a trade union.
• Religious institutions: bodies for worship and moral teaching, such as churches and mosques.
• Political institutions: bodies that govern, such as the government and political parties.
• Educational institutions: places of learning, such as primary schools and secondary schools.
• Economic institutions: places of trade and work, such as markets, banks and factories.

What are social organisations?

Social organisations are people in society who are well organised, with characteristic patterns of relationship.

• Family: members relate as parents, children and relations.
• School: members relate as teachers, pupils and administrators.
• Clubs and societies: members relate through shared interests and rules.

What are the types of social groups?

There are two types of social groups: the primary group and the secondary group.

What is a primary group?

A primary group is made up of people with closer relationships over a long period.

• Family: parents, children and other relations.
• Age group: people born within the same period who share activities.
• Peer group: friends of about the same age and interests.
• Kinship group: people linked by blood or marriage, such as a lineage.

What are the characteristics of a primary group?

1. Face-to-face interaction: members meet and talk to one another directly.
2. Small size: it has a small number of people.
3. Loyalty: members are loyal to one another.
4. Emotional commitment: members care deeply about one another.
5. Permanent relationship: members stay together for a long time.
6. Multi-purpose: it meets many needs, such as care, training and protection.

What is a secondary group?

A secondary group is a larger group formed to achieve a particular purpose, with less close relationships.

• School: pupils and teachers come together for learning.
• Workplace: workers come together to earn a living.
• Trade union: workers join to protect their interests.
• Political party: members join to take part in government.
• Religious organisation: worshippers meet for worship and teaching.

What is the difference between a primary group and a secondary group?

What is the family as a primary social group?

A family is a group of people who are related by heredity or adoption.

• First social group: it is the first group a child belongs to.
• Teaching by example: the child learns what is right and what his role is in society.

What are the types of family?

There are two main types of family: the nuclear family and the extended family.

• Nuclear family: a family made up of a father, mother and children.
• Extended family: a family in which relations such as uncles, grandparents and aunties live with the nuclear family in the same house or compound.

What are the forms of nuclear family?

• Monogamous: a family made up of a man, his wife and the children.
• Polygamous: a family made up of a man, more than one wife and the children.

What is the difference between a nuclear family and an extended family?

What are the other forms of family?

Two other forms of family are the foster family and the single-parent family.

• Foster family: a couple or adults act as parents to children who may or may not be their relations (guardians).
• Single-parent family: children live with only one of their biological parents, either the father or the mother.

A single-parent family often occurs because of the divorce or death of one of the couple.

What are the roles and responsibilities of family members?

Each member of the family has duties that help the family live in unity and peace.

What are the roles of the father?

• Provider: he provides money for the family’s sustenance.
• Protector: he protects and defends the family.
• Upbringing: he ensures the proper upbringing of the children.
• Role model: he trains the family in good beliefs through a good, exemplary lifestyle.
• Discipline: he oversees disciplinary activities at home.
• Peacemaker: he ensures that unity, harmony, love and peace exist between family members.

What are the roles of the mother?

• Meals: she prepares meals for the family.
• Home care: she ensures neatness and cleanliness of the home.
• Training: she trains the children to take care of the home, wash clothes, plait hair and prepare food.
• Discipline: she reports every act of indiscipline at home to her husband for necessary action.
• Support: she supports the father in meeting family needs.
• Role model: she demonstrates acceptable beliefs to the children through a good lifestyle.

What are the responsibilities of the children?

• Obedience: they obey all instructions from their parents.
• Co-operation: they co-operate with their parents while they are being trained.
• Education: they attend school regularly and make their parents proud at all times.
• Chores: they take good care of the house chores.
• Good conduct: they behave well everywhere and at all times.
• Respect and love: they respect and show love to everyone in the family.
• Reporting: they report important incidents that may need their parents to take immediate action.
• Seeking advice: they seek their parents’ advice and permission when necessary.

Evaluation

1. What is a social environment?
2. Define social organisation.
3. Name the two types of social groups and give one example of each.
4. State four characteristics of a primary group.
5. Define a family, name its two main types and state two roles of the father.

Assignment

Explain the difference between a nuclear family and an extended family, then list four responsibilities of children in the family.