He sociocultural context It refers to the social and cultural environment in which a person grows up and lives, and the influence that this exerts on their ideas and behaviors. Within this concept are included the historical, political, economic, educational, religious, ethical and aesthetic aspects present in their community in a determined space and time.
It also encompasses the groups with which the individual interacts, such as his family, his friends, his neighbors and other actors, as well as the customs, knowledge and artistic, scientific and industrial progress in which he develops.
The sociocultural context usually has a strong impact on a person’s behaviors and thoughts and shapes their codes, norms, practices and traditions. In most cases, when an individual grows up in a problematic and vulnerable social and cultural environment, their chances of adaptation and progress are less.
On the contrary, when it is done in a strong, safe and well-off environment, the chances of having a prosperous and healthy development increase.
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Concept of sociocultural context
The context is defined as the physical, symbolic or situational environment in which a fact is considered. It alludes to a certain space and time that serve to frame and set the scene for an event.
Social, meanwhile, indicates everything belonging to or related to a society, understood as the group of individuals who share a history, traditions and live under the same rules.
For its part, cultural refers to the ways of life, customs, knowledge and degree of artistic, scientific and industrial development of a specific era or group.
Human beings are social by nature. In turn, the factors present in their environment affect their growth and development and end up forming part of their reality and their identity.
The sociocultural context is studied by sociology, anthropology, history, linguistics, archaeology, pedagogy, semiotics, philosophy, and psychology, among other sciences, as it serves as a framework to understand behaviors, ideas, and behaviors. events present in a community.
etymological definition
From the etymological point of view, the word “context” comes from the Latin “contextus”, which means “union of two or more elements and the circumstances in which they are found”.
It is made up of the prefix “with”, understood as “completely” or “globally” and “textus”, which refers to both “fabric” and the “set of words that make up a written or oral passage”.
Social, for its part, comes from the Latin “socialis”, which can be translated as “belonging to the community of people”. It is made up of the terms “socius”, which means “partner”, and the suffix “-al”, synonymous with “relative to”.
Finally, “cultural” comes from the Latin “cultus”, understood as “cultivation” or “cultivated” and refers to the “result of working and caring for the land to produce plants”.
Elements present in the sociocultural context
Within the sociocultural context there are different factors that influence the growth and development of a person. Among the main ones are:
The family
Parents and siblings, if you have them, are a person’s first environment. The concepts, behaviors and customs that are acquired in early childhood create the foundations of the individual’s personality.
The school
The educational center where the child is educated is another fundamental sociocultural context, in which intellectual knowledge is acquired but also moral and ethical values and respect for the norms of a community are learned.
The friends
As the individual grows, he expands his social relationships and generates friendship ties with his peers, which also contributes to his development. During adolescence these links grow in complexity and importance, giving rise to new forms of learning. In addition, friends influence each other in different ways, helping to reinforce behaviors and forge one’s own personality.
The religion
Religions often have a significant influence on people’s daily lives and their traditions. They encompass moral and behavioral norms that can condition the way of thinking and acting of an individual.
social class
The socioeconomic level, both of the family and of the community in which they live, also plays a determining role in this aspect. Each social class offers different opportunities related to employment, income, education, security and basic benefits, such as access to food, housing and health services, which mark the environment in which a person grows up.
Culture
In the same way, the language, customs, traditions, knowledge, art and the historical and political context present in the community affect the development of the individual and their way of acting and thinking.
Examples of sociocultural context
Each person is born into a specific family, in a specific city and country, and at a specific historical moment. In turn, these social, economic, political and cultural conditions have a categorical impact on their growth and development and on their identity.
Thus, it is not the same to be born in a poor favela in Rio de Janeiro than to be born in a rich neighborhood in Paris. The language that will be spoken will be different, the customs and traditions that will be followed will be different, the education that will be received will be different, and the possibilities of advancement will also be different.
On the other hand, the interaction with parents, friends and neighbors, the neighborhood in which you live, the religion and moral values that are instilled in you, and the basic services that you have, will also have a different influence on your process of socialization.
On the other hand, if the person goes to a religious or secular school, or to a public or private one, the sociocultural context in which they will be immersed will be different.
The same if you live in an urban or rural community, or if the living conditions in it are good or bad, referring to employment possibilities, economic development, health and safety services, among other aspects.
All of this will condition the behavior, actions, ideas and way of being of the person.
References
Gauvain, Mary (2013). Sociocultural contexts of development. Edited by Philip David Zelazo. The Oxford Handbook of Developmental Psychology, Vol. 2: Self and Other.
Springer Science+Business Media. Socio-cultural context. Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning. Available at: link.springer.com
Bastarrachea Arjona, William and Cisneros, Edith. Influence of the sociocultural context on school leadership in Mexico. Autonomous University of Yucatan, Mexico.
Sociocultural context, Wikipedia. Available: Wikipedia.org
Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE). Available at: rae.es
etymological dictionary. Available at: etimologias.dechile.net