Final answer:
The question explores the benefits of integrated educational settings on children's social development, emphasizing how such settings can better prepare children for social interactions and future societal roles through a hidden curriculum that teaches norms like competition and teamwork, as well as helping to form lasting social networks.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question addresses the impact of fully integrated settings and nursery classes on the social development of children, suggesting that such environments may be more beneficial in enhancing social skills than other types of educational settings. Early educational experiences, such as those in kindergarten, play a critical role as a socialization agent, and social skills developed here are foundational for future social interactions. Integrated settings may provide children with a broader spectrum of social interactions, teaching them important norms and behaviors that are essential for cooperative situations and group dynamics.
For instance, in the United States, education systems incorporate a hidden curriculum that instills values such as competition, teamwork, and adherence to bureaucracy that prepares children for the adult world. Moreover, educational settings can help in creating substantial social networks that can become beneficial later in life. These social networks, along with the ability to collaborate in small groups, are skills that might be less likely to develop in non-integrated or homeschool settings.
Furthermore, research such as that by Prosser and Lareau reveals that the type of school environment, as well as parenting strategies, significantly influence children's self-concept, social behavior, and the development of critical life skills, such as negotiating with authority and confronting systems.