The social web

In the therapeutic approach to education, pupils are seen as existing in a social web that includes the home, the family, religion, the culture, the sub-culture and the community as well as the school. A learner’s behavior and development are influenced by, as well as an influence on, the behavior and development of others with whom they interact in this web. It is clear therefore that human behavior is the product of an ongoing interaction between the social environment and internal motivations (gained from previous social experiences). There are always interconnected elements between all these systems and hence any alteration in one part of the web can have repercussions in the others.

Discussion

Think of a situation in which one system within a learners social web (e.g. the home) changes. Does this change just affect that one part, or could it affect the whole social system? Bearing the answers in mind, do you think that all the solutions to learners problems experienced in the classroom can be solved through schoolbased actions?