Page 396 - Social Sciences Humanities - The Ontario Curriculum Grades 9 to 12 - 2013

THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9–12 | Social Sciences and Humanities
resilience. The ability to recover quickly from disruptive change, illness, or misfortune without being overwhelmed or acting in dysfunctional ways. Resilient people possess the skills to cope with life’s challenges, respond to stress, and move forward. Children and youth have a naturally resilient nature, but it must be nurtured and strengthened, particularly in the face of one or more risk factors for mental health problems or illness. See also protective factors and risk factors.
risk factors. Traits, characteristics, or environ­ mental contexts that research has shown to be predictive of mental health problems or illnesses. In the context of childhood and adolescence, examples of risk factors include poverty, having parents with limited parenting skills or mental illness, abuse of alcohol and/or drugs, lack of success in school, and premature birth or low birth weight. The effect of a given risk factor may vary during different periods of a child
or youth’s life. The effect is often cumulative and tends to be more serious when more than one risk factor is involved. See also protective factors and resilience.
same-sex parents. Lesbian or gay couples parenting one or more children.
self-concept. The perception a person has of his or her own identity. People form their self- concept using interpretations of information they acquire about themselves through experiences and interactions with others and their environ­ ment. A person’s self-concept can be influenced by the opinions of others, reinforcement of behaviour, and explanations or understanding of one’s own behaviour or actions. Unlike self- esteem, self-concept is not positive or negative, but rather accurate or inaccurate, extensive or
narrow. See also self-esteem.
self-esteem. A personal sense of worth. One’s self-esteem can be high or low. See also self-concept.
socialization. A continual process, beginning in infancy, whereby individuals modify and adapt their behaviour to conform to the demands
of society.
stalking. Repeated behaviours (e.g., calling repeatedly, sending constant e-mails, following an individual or his or her family and friends) that are carried out over a period of time and that cause victims to reasonably fear for their safety. Stalking does not necessarily result in physical injury but may be a precursor to sub­ sequent violent acts.
stranger anxiety. The distress that infants and toddlers show towards people with whom they are unfamiliar. This distress is a normal part
of infant development, usually beginning at 6–8 months and peaking at 12–15 months.
structuralism; structural functionalism. An overarching theoretical perspective in sociology and anthropology in which society is conceived of as an organism with a number of constituent elements that are important because of their role or function. These elements include customs, norms, institutions, and traditions. Functionalist theories explain human behaviour with reference to the influence of these elements.
symbolic interactionism. A theory, developed by George Mead, according to which people do not merely react to things in their social surroundings; rather, they react to their interpretations of things in their social surroundings. These interpretations are derived, in part, from people’s interactions with others and with society.
temperament. The natural, innate aspects of an individual’s personality. In infants, temperament refers to the natural style of reacting to and interacting with people, places, and things. According to one theory, the three types of temperament are easy, difficult, and slow
to warm up.
teratogens. A drug, chemical, or infection that has been shown to cause physical or develop­ mental abnormalities in a fetus.
theory of mind. A capacity to reflect on one’s own mental state (e.g., knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, feelings) and to recognize that others may have different mental states. The capacity to have a theory of mind develops in most children between 3 and 4 years of age.
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