Health Management and Social Care | Factors which influence personal development

Study Notes: Factors Which Influence Personal Development

Hello! Welcome to your study notes for an important topic in Health Management and Social Care. Ever wonder why you are the way you are? Why you like certain things, believe certain ideas, or act in specific ways? It’s not just random! Our personal development is shaped by many things around us. In this chapter, we'll explore the key factors that influence our personal development. Understanding these factors helps us understand ourselves and others better. Let's get started!

1. The Power of Family

Our family is usually the first and most important influence in our lives. It's our first 'school' for learning about the world. Don't worry if this seems obvious, the key is to understand how it shapes us.

What is a Family?

For the exam, a simple definition is enough. A family is a group of people related by blood, marriage, or adoption, who often live together and share emotional, social, and economic connections. Remember, families come in all shapes and sizes!

Family as a 'Socializing Agent'

This is a key term! A socializing agent is something that teaches us the norms, values, and behaviours of our society. Think of your family as your first coach for the game of life. Here's what they do:

• Nurturing conditions for health and development: This includes providing safe housing, healthy food, and taking you to the doctor. It's the basic foundation for growing up healthy.
• Meeting physical, social and emotional needs: Your family gives you food and clothes (physical), teaches you how to share and be kind (social), and gives you hugs and encouragement when you're sad (emotional).
• Developing identity, self-esteem, and resilience: Through family, you start to figure out who you are (identity). When they praise you, your confidence grows (self-esteem). When you face a problem and they support you, you learn to bounce back (resilience).
• Inculcating values: 'Inculcating' is just a fancy word for teaching. Families teach us important family, social, and cultural values, like honesty, respect for elders, or the importance of education.

Parental Roles and Parenting Style

The way parents raise their children has a huge impact. This is called parenting style.

Think of it like this:

• Some parents are like strict coaches, setting all the rules.
• Some are like guides, giving advice but letting you make choices.
• Some are like cheerleaders, very supportive but not setting many rules.

The effects of parental roles on child development are significant. A supportive and consistent parenting style often leads to children who are more confident, responsible, and do better in school. On the other hand, a style that is too strict or too lenient can sometimes lead to challenges in a child's development.

Key Takeaway for Family:
The family is our primary socializing agent, providing the foundation for our health, emotional well-being, identity, and values. The way our parents guide us (parenting style) plays a massive role in shaping who we become.

2. School and Education

After family, school is where you spend most of your time. It’s not just about learning maths and history; it’s a powerful force in your personal development.

Learning Inside and Outside the Classroom

We learn in two main ways:

• Formal learning: This is the structured learning that happens in school, following a curriculum. Subjects like HMSC, Physical Education (PE), and even Liberal Studies teach you directly about health and society.
• Informal learning: This happens outside the classroom. It could be learning teamwork in a school club, learning about different cultures during a school trip, or learning responsibility through being a class monitor.

The Role of Literacy in Health and Social Care

This is super important! Being 'literate' here doesn't just mean you can read. Health literacy is the ability to find, understand, and use health information to make good decisions.

For example, health literacy helps you:

• Read the nutrition label on a snack to see if it's healthy.
• Understand instructions from a doctor or on a medicine bottle.
• Recognise whether health advice on social media is reliable or just a myth.

Schools play a huge role in building this skill!

Key Takeaway for Education:
School provides both formal (curriculum) and informal (activities) learning that shapes our knowledge, skills, and values. A key skill we learn is health literacy, which empowers us to manage our own health effectively.

3. The Influence of Peers

As you get older, your friends (peers) become incredibly influential. Sometimes, you might even listen to them more than your family!

Meeting Social and Emotional Needs

Friends provide a sense of belonging. They are people you can share secrets with, have fun with, and get support from when you're having a tough time. This helps meet your social and emotional needs outside of your family.

Peer Pressure and Identity

Peer pressure is when you feel pushed to do something (good or bad) because your friends are doing it. It’s strongly linked to your identity because you want to fit in and be accepted by the group.

• Negative Peer Pressure: Being pressured to try smoking, skip class, or be mean to someone.
• Positive Peer Pressure: Being encouraged by friends to join a sports team, study harder for an exam, or volunteer for a good cause.

Quick Tip: Common Mistake to Avoid!
Don't just write that peer pressure is bad. In your exam, always remember to mention that it can be a positive force as well. Give an example of each!

Influence on Lifestyle and Health Risk Behaviours

Your friends directly influence your daily habits (lifestyle) and choices. If your friends love hiking and eating healthy, you're more likely to do that too. Conversely, if they engage in health risk behaviours like staying up all night playing video games or eating junk food, you might be influenced to do the same.

Key Takeaway for Peers:
Peers are crucial for social and emotional support. They shape our identity through peer pressure (which can be positive or negative) and have a strong influence on our lifestyle choices and health behaviours.

4. The Wider Community

Finally, we are all influenced by the community we live in. This includes our neighbourhood, the media, and the services available to us.

Living Environment

Your living environment has three key aspects:

• Physical Aspect: Does your neighbourhood have parks, playgrounds, and safe walking paths? Or is it crowded and polluted? This affects your physical health and opportunities for exercise.
• Social Aspect: Are your neighbours friendly and supportive? Is there a strong sense of community? A positive social environment makes you feel safer and more connected.
• Environmental Aspect: This refers to things like air and water quality. Living in an area with high pollution can negatively impact health.

The Media

The media (TV, social media, news, advertisements) constantly sends us messages about what is normal, healthy, or desirable. This can influence our body image, what we eat, and what we buy. There are also positive influences, like government campaigns promoting exercise or mental health awareness, often part of creating a 'Healthy City'.

Did you know? The "Healthy City" concept is a global movement started by the World Health Organization (WHO) to make cities healthier and more liveable for everyone!

Social Relationships and Availability of Services

A good community is built on positive social relationships. Furthermore, the availability of health and social care services is vital. Is there a clinic, a hospital, a community centre, or a library nearby? Easy access to these services makes it easier to stay healthy and get help when you need it.

Key Takeaway for Community:
Our community influences us through its physical and social environment, the messages from the media, and the availability of essential health and social care services. A supportive community makes it easier to lead a healthy life.

Putting It All Together: A Quick Review

Your personal development is a complex puzzle with four main pieces. Remember the acronym F-E-P-C!

• F - Family: Your first 'school' for values, health, and identity.
• E - Education: Provides formal and informal learning, and builds health literacy.
• P - Peers: Offer emotional support and influence lifestyle through peer pressure.
• C - Community: Shapes you through your living environment, the media, and available services.

Well done! You've just covered the key factors that make us who we are. Keep reviewing these points and thinking of examples from your own life—it’s the best way to remember them!