Social Literacy

Social
Literacy
“
No man is an island
—John Donne
Social Literacy
It is the knowledge of how to behave and treat other people in a way that is morally upright, just, and
equitable, with a view of promoting positive and productive relations that are free from unfair
prejudices, hate, and discrimination.
Upright - we refer the thought, speech, actions, and motivations that adhere to a standard of right and
wrong.
Just – refer to speech, actions, and behaviors that are in-line with a fixed standard of justice
Equitable – are the speech, actions, behaviors, and decisions that treat others fairly, regardless of
background or circumstances.
Social skills
Defined in literature as the ability to interact with others in a given social context in specific ways that are
socially acceptable or valued and at the same time personally beneficial, mutually beneficial or primarily
beneficial to others.
These social skills are often expressed as consisting of three inter-related components: social perception,
social cognition and social performance (Arthur, Davison, & Stow, 2000).
Social perception Social cognition
Social performance
There are several types of social skills that must be mastered for a child to be socially adept. These range
from the ability to initiate, maintain, and end a conversation to reading social signals to more
complex skills such as solving problems and resolving conflict (Lawson, 2003).
There are several categories of social skills we

primarily focus on, which are:
o Greeting
o Initiating Conversation
o Understanding the listener
o Empathizing
o Reading Social Cues
o Previewing and Planning
o Problem-solving
o Apologizing
Greeting
The first step in a social interaction is greeting someone. Greeting requires the ability to notice
people who are familiar in a social setting, glance at them, and use words or gestures to greet them. It is not so
much what one says but how he/she says it that lets people know he/she is glad to see them.
GREETINGS
VERBAL NON-VERBAL
Initiating Conversation
In order to carry on a conversation, a child must enable to initiate, maintain and close conversation
appropriately. This requires good listening and attention skills as well as the ability to take turns and probe for
missing information. Being a good conversationalist requires turn-taking and reciprocity.
Ways to initiate conversation
Introduce yourself
While this may not be suitable for every situation, introducing yourself is a straightforward way to show your
interest in meeting someone.
Ask for information

A good way to start a conversation is to ask for information from the person you want to talk to. This is an
effective, natural way to build rapport with someone quickly.
Initiating Conversation
Ask an opinion
Soliciting other people’s opinions shows you value and are interested in what they have to say.
Ask for help

Requesting help is another effective conversation starter. Asking for help can help you start a friendly
conversation but make sure your request is convenient for the other party.
Offer help
If you find yourself in a position to help someone you want to talk to, seize the moment and assist them.
Understanding the listener
Once a conversation is initiated, it has to be maintained. In order to do that, it is important to
understand the audience you are talking to. A misread of the listener often leads to a misunderstood
message and potential social rejection.
To understand our listener
 Identify and categorize our listener

 Measure what we planned to say against the anticipated response of the listener.
 Alter or avoid what we planned to say.
Empathizing
Empathy is more than perspective taking: it means that one is able to feel what the other person
feels. Empathy allows one to really connect with other people.
Reading Social Cues
It is very important to read social cues in a conversation. Cues are the hints and signals that
guide us to the next thing to say or do. Social cues can be verbal or nonverbal.
Verbal Non-Verbal
Involves the use Involves facial

of words in expression, eye
conversation. contact, gestures,
facial expression,
body posture and
tone of voice.
Previewing and Planning
Conversations also require that one previews or thinks about what effect the words or actions may
have on the listener before she says or does them. If the impact will be negative, one can adjust what she might
say or do.
Reminder:
Failure to think before speaking could have negative

results. To say the wrong thing in a group
conversation could come off as inappropriate, rude or
insensitive.
Problem-solving
Problems and conflict are often a part of social interactions. Someone may not agree, get angry,
insult, or become aggressive at something that one says. How one reacts to these conflicts depends on how good
her problem-solving skills are.
Steps in solving social conflicts:
1. Understand the situation

2. Identify the problem
3. Consider solutions
4. Choose the best way to handle that specific situation
Apologizing
A person with good social skills is confident enough to make a sincere apology for her error. This
is a courageous act and is the quickest and easiest way to correct a social blunder. An individual with strong
social skills will be able to recognize when they are wrong and have the courage to say they’re sorry.
“Apologizing is a sign of humble and mature character when one commits mistakes.”
The Role of Parents and Teachers in Teaching
Social Skills to Children
Role of parents:
Parents typically play the major role in teaching children social skills. Parents can directly teach social skills by
modeling, role-playing and providing opportunities for their child to rehearse and practice new skills.
Role of teachers:
Teachers do not have to teach a class in social skills, they can take advantage of every opportunity
to help children improve their social skills.
Teachers should be alert to teasing and bullying and aware of children that are rejected or ignored
by their peers.
The Role of Parents and Teachers in Teaching
Social Skills to Children
Role of teachers:
Teachers should involve children in cooperative instead of competitive learning exercises,

identifying and acknowledging the strengths of all children, understanding social weaknesses, and
creating an environment in which diversity is accepted and celebrated can greatly enhance all
children’s social abilities, sense of belongingness, and self-esteem, not just in the classroom but in
life as well
Issues in Teaching Social Literacy
● How children develop their social literacy is intrinsically a contextual matter and is not something that can
be easily traced in a linear or development fashion.
● Children learn through social practices, both explicit and implicit, and become human through social
interaction
● Children are disposed to be social before they learn what sociability is all about
Issues in Teaching Social Literacy
Two distinct ways of answering the question on how children learn to live
socially with each other and with adults:
Pragmatic and Individualistic

Normative and Communal
View
View
The social order of children is
From their culture, children
created by explicit and implicit
learn customs that provide
agreements entered into by self-
them with a guide to act in
seeking individuals to avert the
ways that minimize conflict.
worst consequences of their
selfish instincts
Subjective Standards of Morality
● The natural outcome of postmodern philosophies is that truth and morality are considered subjective and
open to individual interpretation.
● Actions and behavioral patterns that were once considered bad have now become acceptable – so much so
that many now consider them to be even good
● This, in effect, pulls the rug out from under any and all attempts at true justice and equitability since they
themselves rely on a fixed moral standard.
HUMAN NATURE
Human nature is a concept that denotes

the fundamental dispositions and characteristics
including ways of thinking, feeling, and acting that
humans are said to have naturally. The term is often
used to denote the essence of humankind, or what it
'means' to be human. We all have different
experiences of the humans in our life, and this is
where the disputes begin.
HUMAN NATURE
Today’s students have grown up with

the internet that they have become inseparable from
their gadgets. The reminders to young professionals
in terms of social skills in the modern age is the
importance of educating students in what could be
called social literacy to ensure their academic and
career success.
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IN THE
WORKPLACE
While casual office attire has become the

norm in many offices, job interviews typically require
more formal dress and behavior to demonstrate a level of
respect. While college classrooms or the actual office
atmosphere may allow for a more casual dress code,
students need to be taught what is socially acceptable in
terms of dress or behavior for them to stand out above
their colleagues.
Situational awareness is the practice of actively

monitoring your surroundings in the workplace so you
can identify threats before they occur and have time to
react.
SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE IN
TECHNOLOGICAL COMMUNICATION
Social intelligence is important for unlocking the skills of
effective communication, dialogue, and teamwork to create an
optimal and productive work environment.
Text-speak and technology use have affected many young
people's ability to communicate
For example, if a professor signs an email with “Dr. Smith,” this is a fairly good indication that he
expects to be addressed as such and not informally by his first name.
SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE IN TRADITIONAL
COMMUNICATION
Traditional modes of discourse still exist. For example, many employers still expect cover
letters in addition to resumes, and the lack of a thank-you note for a gift is often perceived as more than a
simple social oversight. An ability to craft these types of documents illustrates an understanding of social
expectations and denotes a level of respect or appreciation.
Reminder:
Social literacy is concerned with the empowerment of

the social and ethical self which includes the ability to
understand and explain differences within individual
experiences.
ThankYou
For listening

Social Literacy

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Social

Social perception Social cognition

There are several categories of social skills we

Ways to initiate conversation

Ask for information

Ask for help

To understand our listener

 Identify and categorize our listener

Involves the use Involves facial

Failure to think before speaking could have negative

Steps in solving social conflicts:

1. Understand the situation

Teachers should involve children in cooperative instead of competitive learning exercises,

Pragmatic and Individualistic

Human nature is a concept that denotes

Today’s students have grown up with

While casual office attire has become the

Situational awareness is the practice of actively

Social literacy is concerned with the empowerment of

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