Developing a Social Support System

Summary

A social support system is a needed part of every persons life. Independance is readiness to take on more responsibility along with more freedom. Developing a strong network of support people increases the ability to be adapt to life. This less define, applies and diagrams a social support system. It would be a good intro. lesson before putting students on the internet to show them how they can uncreace the size of their informational,service and goods and money supports.

Materials

1. Supplies for the volleyball web a. two volleyball stands b. rope to make a web c. craft bells to attach to the web d. felt spider to put in the web once it is created. 2. A copy of 'Types of Social Support' worksheet for each student.

Intended Learning Outcomes

After defining and applying the 6 types of social suports, students will diagram their own support system and recognize the important role social networks play in the process of developing and maintaining independence in an interdepentent society.

Instructional Procedures

Mottivator: Obatain two volleyball stands from the P.E. department. Set them up three yards apart. Using a small cotton rope, build a spider web with wholes large enough for a person to pass through. The small bells and the spider to the web. Call about 8 student from the class to play the game. The object of the game is for the student to get through the web without ringing the bells. They can only use one hole one time. Some students must be lifted through the web. Make sure they hold their body stiff and are lifted through feet first by the other students. If they ring a bell that student must start over. After going through the web, students will summarize the experience by listing on the board what it took to get throught the web then compare it with what it takes to develop independence. Ask the following question: 1. What did you need to get through the web? (cooperation, trust, team work, strenght, all types of people, the web, etc.) 2. What obstacles did you face? (bells, size of people, time, dropping someone) 3. Once you were on the other side what responsibilities did you have? (Needed to help other get through) After defining and dividing a support system into 6 major parts, students will apply the information as a class by reading situations as a class and classifing them according to the different types of social supports. 1. See worksheet in assesments After seeing how to diagram a support system, students will diagram and classify their own social networks by categorizing each person in their support system under one or more of the 6 types of social supports. After seeing a brief demonstration on how the internest can be used, students will see one way they can enlarge their support system. 1. Wack several interesting sites and put in a separate file so it is easy to demo them on a TV screen in class. 2. If no internet is available make an overhead of the following: Personal space: - Is what the other person whants what I want? - How much of myself do I really wnat to share with the other person? -How highly does (s)he value me. How highly do I value her/him. -Can I cantrol & alter those parts I do not like & will not want? -Are our styles of attaining closeness compatible? -Will my present life be enhances? -Is there a promise of a lasting future? INTERPERSONAL SPACE - Shall we admit members of another system into own? -do we want admittance into theirs? -If so, on what terms, how fast, toward what ends? -Each member mst decide what portion of the other sysytem he wishes to gain access to and what protion does he want to outsiders.

Extensions

TYPES OF SOCIAL SUPPORTS Label each of the follwing situation according to te following type or types of social supports lis. EMOTIONAL - A person who you hsare your feelings with. a good listener who treats your life as if it were their own. INFORMATIONAL - A person who provides needed knowledge. One who services as a resource. INSTRUMENTAL - A person who uses their circle of influence as a means to make your success at something possible. STATUS - Because of your association with that person, they provide you with a relative position of rank. Your circle orf influence. SERVICE - A person who provides help as a result of their labor. Not a source of goods and money. GOODS & MONEY - A person who privides for you. Someone who helps maintain your physical and monetary needs and wants. ____________1. Roger had trouble deciding who he would take to the dance. Ann from down the street is nice, and he likes her. In fact, he tells her things he would never even tell his mother. Mary, sits next to him in church and helped get him in as calss president. She make him feel like he can go out and do and be anything he wants. How, Rosie is different, she isn't the type of girl you can talk to she is beautiful and everyone wants to go out with her. Being with her makes him all excited so he asks her to the dance. What type of supportis Rosie? __________ 2. Ann's other just got remarried. Ann's new father is good at math and helps her with Algebra. her worst subject. Ann can do more things, now they are married, because hermother has more money to give her. she doesn't like to ask her new dad for money because he always wants to know what she is going to do with it. He want to know all the details about her friends and he is always letting her what to do. He's okay but ... What type of support is Ann's new father? __________ 3. I triedout for a chair in band today. Mr Ball picked me to be first chair. I can't wait to get home and tell Mom. She knows how much this means to me. What type of support mom? __________ 4. Jane got to the corner just in time to catch the bus. On her way to school, she remembered her homework and cookies for the bake sale were on the dest at home. She called home. Her mother saved the day by bringing them just in time. What type of support is Mom? __________5. Jim is my best friend. We go everywhere together. I hve been wanting to try out for the basketball team. Jim doesn't like to play basketball as much as I do but he said he would come with me to ask the coach what I need to do to make the team. What type of support is Jim? __________ 6. I have always dreamed of going to college. When I signed up for classes, the school councilor told me I needed to take a foreign language because many coleges require one. What type of support is the councilor? - -- - - - - - - - - -- - - - -- - - - -- - - - -- - - next page MY SOCIAL SUPPORT SYSTEM Put your self in the middle of this paper. Place around your name the initials of people you consier part of your support system. People who are you have strong ties with should be placed relatively closeto you. Weader ties should be placed further away. Make the diagram as complete as possible Divide the people listed above into the following six catagories. One person can go in as many catagories as you wish. ____________________________________________________________ Emotional Infor. Instru. Status Service Goods/Money _____________________________________________________________