Taare Zameen Par: A psychosocial development Analysis

Group 11

3BPSENGNCR

Humanities and Social Sciences, Christ University, Delhi NCR

PSY331N : LifeSpan Development

Harguneet Kaur

05 November 2022
Contribution

Group 11
Introduction, Development of Self Concept and Gender - Yavnika Rawat (21213691)
Behavioural Issues- Manit Sachdev (21213649)
Social Issues and Moral Development- Umaima Kidwai (21213686)
Emotional Issues and Conclusion- Surbhi Jain (21213684)
Introduction
The movie is about an 8 year old boy Ishaan Awasthi who finds it difficult to match his
world of colors, kites and animals to that of the others in his age group, who are more
into studies and homework. When complaints start to pour in, Ishaan’s parents decide
to set him off to a boarding school. His life is no different at the boarding school,
oppressed and insulted by his teachers, he remains the laugh stock of the class. Now
that he is away from home, he feels even more dejected, inferior and finds it tough to
cope up with his inabilities. The boarding school hires Ram Shankar Nikumbh as a
temporary art instructor. Ram encourages students to think outside of textbooks,
beyond the confines of the classroom, and to use their imaginations to create pictures,
in contrast to other teachers who adhere to strict educational guidelines. Except for
Ishaan, every student in the class replies with great enthusiasm. Ram makes an effort
to comprehend Ishaan's issues. He helps Ishaan's parents and other teachers
understand that their son is not weird but rather a gifted young person with his own
skills.Ram is able to increase Ishaan's confidence with time, patience, and care. He aids
Ishaan in overcoming his limitations and regaining his lost self-assurance.
The movie relates to an intriguing neurological phenomena of creativity despite
language impairment, as evidenced by individuals like Leonardo da Vinci and Albert
Einstein, who both exhibited great creativity despite likely having developmental
learning difficulties.

Behavioural Issues

There are multiple behavioural issues that can be seen in Ishan throughout the movie –

1) Avoidance
Children who struggle with dyslexia frequently display this type of behaviour as a coping
strategy. A dyslexic may frequently employ a number of strategies to avoid reading,
spelling, or writing simply because they are aware of the challenges they have with
language and wish to stay out of any circumstances that can expose those shortcomings.
To escape circumstances requiring reading, a dyslexic youngster may start cracking
jokes, engage in other disruptive behaviour, or even flee. When Ishan got the unit test
papers which he had to get signed by his parents he did not do so and used it to play fetch
with the community dogs resulting in them being torn apart, he did so to avoid the
humiliation and scolding which came with it as he scored a zero in all subjects. Later on,
he even bunked school when he was only eight years old at that time just because he did
not want to face the humiliation of not completing his homework and not getting the test
paper signed. He even avoided doing assignments with his mother as it resulted in his
mother being disappointed in him because he repeated mistakes, if he was asked why he
is not understanding it he used to simply run away or avoid the question by making silly
faces. He did all this as dyslexic children frequently suffer penalties for using avoidance
tactics, yet they will still pick that route rather than risking embarrassment. Similarly,
kids employ a number of strategies at home to avoid doing their schoolwork, reading
books, or taking on any other task that they find scary because of their language
difficulties. Sometimes, individuals avoid doing these things only because they find them
to be so challenging and draining.

2) Resignation
Due to the belief that they cannot be helped and will never be able to learn as well as
others, many dyslexic kids start to lose interest in their academic endeavours, if their
learning issues are not addressed, students with learning difficulties have a tendency to
withdraw from educational settings over time. Their academic dreams and hopes start to
fade as they grow resigned to the challenges they are dealing with. Even if their
behaviour is primarily a reflection of their lack of faith in their capacity to ever
accomplish in the activities that are assigned to them, students with these challenges may
be seen as being lazy. Ishan’s attitude was constantly questioned by his teachers and his
parents who labelled him as having a casual and lazy attitude and said that he is “fooling
around”. When Nikhumbh met Ishan’s family, his father stated that his shortcomings in
studies are a result of his attitude and anything else stated by Nikhumbh were just
excuses to cover up his mistakes.
3) Acting out
Ishan used to constantly crack jokes in class and engage in silly pranks which diverted
the attention of the teacher and the students. His English teacher stated that he used to
constantly interrupt the class by asking to go to the washroom or that he was thirsty or by
his pranks. Children suffering from Dyslexia interrupt academic work and reading time
by telling jokes and distracting other students from the assigned task. This is a coping
mechanism to draw attention away from their inability to perform at the level that is
expected of them. Dyslexic children may also act out simply because of frustration; they
see others doing work around them that makes them feel inadequate. As a result, they act
out towards the students around them, as well as the teacher. Hence it can also be
perceived that Ishan simply distracted others due to his own inability to perform tasks
which others were able to do easily, this causes frustration and self esteem issues in the
child.
4) Anger Issues and Insubordination

Ishan was quick to anger/short tempered, this was seen when he got into a fist fight with a
child who was way older than him because he pushed him around. He got severely
reprimanded for this but still did not take his father seriously as he started fighting with
the boy again in front of his parents. He was also visibly angry and shouted at his father
when he said he would send him to boarding school. He decided to not follow the orders
given to him by his elders, notably his parents and his teachers. He refused to wash hands
before eating the sandwiches his mom made despite her saying so repeatedly. When he
was studying with his mother, he refused to correct his spelling mistakes and ran away
after teasing her.

Development of Self Concept

Self
The idea of the self refers to a person's perception of themselves as a single, cohesive,
autonomous being that exists independently of others and is experienced continuously
over time and space.

Self Understanding
The child has at this point come to terms with who they are. Early childhood is when people start
to figure out who they are and how they will behave. Children make things happen during the
early years by using their perceptual, motor, cognitive, and verbal abilities. Ishaan, on the other
hand, struggled to recognise himself and was unable to comprehend himself. He was bullied by
classmates and was reprimanded by teachers. In a later scene of the film, we even discover that
his art teacher, rather than himself, was the one who noticed his aptitude for painting because it
was difficult for him to understand himself.
Understanding Others
Understanding someone else does not obligate you to share their emotions or worldview. Instead,
it indicates that you understand their viewpoint and accept the fact that it differs from your own.
Understanding others' perspectives in life is really important. Children are more likely to
comprehend and empathize with others who are upset or in need when they can see things from
another person's point of view. The main character tries to escape from everything as a result of
his failure to try to make new friends at his new school. He was the laughing stock of his class at
his previous school, he was scared and did not want to associate with others. Another kind of
antisocial behaviour is when one avoids social interaction, this was seen when he was mocked by
his classmates which resulted in him isolating himself from others. In another instance, he used
to go for his meals then he used to isolate himself from others. Ishaan's teacher is able to relate to
him as he experienced the same psychological issue of dyslexia.

Self Concept

A broad understanding of our physical, mental, social, and spiritual selves is what is meant by
self-concept. Self-concept begins to develop in early childhood. This process continues
throughout the lifespan. Self-concept involves children's thoughts and feelings about themselves.
We can observe that Ishaan's self concept is unclear, which is why he is unable to carry out
simple tasks that people his age group can do. Due to his uncertainty and self-doubt, he doesn't
even communicate with people.

Play
Children's work is play. It comprises self-indulgent behaviours that provide behavioural, social,
and psychomotor benefits. Play is a crucial component of a child's development. Children learn
about themselves, shapes, colours, cause and effect, and other things through play. It is a means
of expressing happiness, fear, grief, and anxiety. Piaget and Vygotsky came to the same
conclusion: a child's play is their work. Play promotes children's cognitive development,
according to Piaget. Even Vygotsky saw play as a prime environment for brain growth. The
movie's protagonist has always seemed to be separating himself from the group. Since he feels at
ease around them, he prefers to play with dogs and fish. When he doesn't interact with others or
even eats alone, he uses play to communicate his social anxiety. Even when his name was called
after he won the art competition, he was merely trying to hide himself since he was not confident
enough to face the crowd because he felt uncomfortable and stressed about how people would
see him. We can see from the illustration that Ishaan approached playing differently after the
teacher took them outside. Ishaan searches for items in nature and crafts things from them, which
showcases his ingenuity. Even now, all of this demonstrates his attempts to convey his feelings.

Gender

Gender Roles
Gender roles are expectations about what males and females should feel, think, and
act. The majority of kids start acting more and more like the gender roles in their society during
the preschool years. In our society, gender roles have already been prescribed to us, and if
somebody deviates from these norms, they are ridiculed, made fun of, and occasionally even
excluded from society. Ishaan receives numerous reprimands from his father and teachers in the
film for his inability to learn or engage in physical activities like working out, etc. He should be
skilled in physical activities because, as a man, he comes from a patriarchal society and is
stronger than women. His father had always wished for him to emulate his older sibling and
carry out the obligations of a responsible man. We can see that when the instructor informs
Ishaan's parents about his condition,his father simply states that even if he does, he won't keep
him home and take care of him forever. This demonstrates that the father wanted him to care for
himself on his own because a man should be able to support himself because he is a man, and
men are supposed to care for their families. Additionally, because he did not regard painting as a
male activity, his father never understood his artistic talent.

Gender Typing
The term "gender typing" describes taking on a conventionally masculine or feminine
role. It's comparable to designating roles for men and women in society, such as "men
can drive automobiles, women are good caregivers." If we go by the movie, Ishaan's
father always encouraged him to excel in both athletics and academics because he was
a man. Additionally, his father opted to send him to a boarding school after he failed. It
was viewed as wholly incorrect because Ishaan had problems with math sums as well
because men are meant to be brilliant at math. This demonstrates the gender stereotyping in the
film. Also the decision of Ishaan's father to send him to boarding school was final. His mother
could not even properly express herself.

Social Issues and Moral development

Kohlberg's theory of moral development focuses on how children learn morality and moral
judgement. According to Kohlberg, there are six phases of moral development. According to the
approach, the main objective of moral reasoning should be pursuing and upholding justice.
Ishaan is brilliant in painting and art but they ignore what he has to offer. Ishaan’s parents and
especially his father are authoritarian in nature, they don't listen to their child and send him to a
boarding school. They are very strict and if Ishaan shows any disobedience, then he faces
negative remarks and punishment for it as we can see in the instance where he gets scolded and
slapped for hiding an absent note from his parents. As a result, it could be a reason why he is
unhappy, insecure, has temper tantrums, performs worse academically, has low social
competence, low self-esteem and has more behavioural issues. In the movie, Kohlberg’s idea
plays a part in two different scenes. In the first, when Ishaan tries to eat a sandwich without first
washing his hands, his mother stops him. To avoid the nagging, he pays attention to the mother.
The second time, Ishaan's father gives him strawberries to eat after washing them. Instead of
eating the strawberries, he returns to his father for a cuddle. According to Level 1, or
Preconventional Morality (children), following the rules can help you avoid penalties or earn
rewards. Ishaan avoids the nagging in this instance as a form of punishment, and he also forgets
the strawberries in exchange for his father's affection and cuddles, which is a form of reward.

Due to his immature nature and inability to properly perform basic tasks which can be done
easily by his peers, he faces a lot of social issues and alienation while being called “duffer” and
“idiot”. His peers mock him for his underdeveloped motor skills and lack of basic reading and
writing and is perceived as clumsy. This all leads him to constantly daydream and not interact
with his peers as he constantly made mistakes and was punished for it:

1. Hesitation and awkwardness in social situations

Ishaan hesitates and feels awkward in social gatherings. He sits alone on the bus and sits in the
corner of the classroom. It is shown that even during the art competition, Ishaan hides as he is
announced the winner and awkwardly walks down the stairs.

2. Lack of Peer acceptance

Ishaan gets into fights with his friends due to their constant mocking and teasing of him. He is
also criticized by his teachers for his behaviour and further mocked by his classmates for the
punishment.

3. Difficulty in communicating
Ishaan faces trouble in order to find the right words to communicate. He kept silent when his
father asked about the absent note, when his friend asked about why he threw the ball in the
wrong direction and when Rajan asked why he joined the school in the middle of the term;
Ishaan kept silent and became depressed and stressed.

Taking into account a variety of emotional issues like anxiety, sadness, low self-esteem, and low
self- concept revealed a higher risk for mental health problems in teenagers who have particular
learning difficulties, Ishaan had experienced it. His dyslexia causes no one to be able to detect
the symptoms, including all of his instructors, parents, and the principal, which makes him more
depressed.

Ishaan’s parenting was like any other household within Indian society. His father and mother
treated him differently. Ishaan’s father is a tough, prosperous executive who demands
achievement from his two children. Ishaan always makes him upset due to his disobedience, and
he always reprimands him. Ishaan gets struck and reprimanded by his father in one scene after
fighting with others, but his older brother offers to defend him. His mother instructed him to take
a bath before she attended to the bruises while she compassionately and understandingly checked
his wounds. His father is packing for a job tour. He says he will leave home permanently when
Ishaan asks him where he is going. Ishaan starts to feel terrible right away. Instead, his mother
stands up and goes on to describe his father's business trip. It demonstrates how much his mother
cares about her son's feelings. His mother also assumes responsibility for caring for his academic
needs. But after countless efforts, she becomes irate and begins blaming Ishaan's study attitude
after noticing that his homework is filled with errors. This shows that Ishaan’s father barely
talked to him in a friendly manner and rather always reprimanded him for his mistakes. Yohan,
Ishaan’s older brother who is academically brilliant, is also shown to be compassionate towards
his younger sibling and often takes Ishaan’s side as shown in the scene where Yohan writes the
absence note for him.

After being sent to boarding school, Ishan becomes a quiet and depressed child who gives up on
painting and imagination along with his pride persona. In the film, Nikumbh (art teacher),
empathizes with Ishaan’s condition and tells him that he too faces difficulty learning during his
early year. He becomes Ishaan’s encouragement and his presence becomes reassuring to him. For
an 8- year-old child, Nikumbh enters and adjusts the right time for Ishaan to rediscover himself.
Nikumbh as a teacher understands his struggle and respects his learning pace as he convinces the
principal to take his examinations orally. Later on, this event develops Ishaan’s confidence and
his academic results progress positively. In the end, during the art competition, it is seen that
Ishaan is excited and dresses up early by himself contrasting the situation when he was back at
home. As the contest starts and Ishaan has still not arrived Nikumbh is worried about him. Ishaan
comes late and while he stands at the edge of the staircase Nikumbh runs to him with art supplies
in his hands. This particular incident shows consideration acceptance altruism and humility for
Ishan, as it is unlikely for a teacher to run towards his student showing concern and kindness
rather than being scolded for coming late. These incidents show the three developmental
movements given by given by Imoda (1998), he states that there are three pedagogical moments
of development: moment of the present, moment of absence and moment of transformation. The
movement of present corresponds to empathy followed by the moment of absence which is seen
as the opportunity for growth leading to the last stage – the moment of transformation, which
shows the development of transcendence and transformation.

Emotional Issues

Dyslexia
Ishaan Awasthi, an 8-year-old boy, struggles to concentrate in class and doesn't like going to
school. He stops studying since he considers all the subjects to be difficult. He used to get baffled
by letters, numbers, and word patterns. For example, when his art teacher went through his
notebooks and found mistakes, he used "b" for "d", an upside-down "S" or "R", mirror imaging
for "h" and "t,". A clear indication that he has dyslexia is that he consistently misreads words
with similar spellings, such as "T-o-p" becoming "P-o-t" and "S-O-I-L-E-D" becoming
"S-O-L-I-D." Dyslexia is a learning disorder that makes it difficult to recognise speech sounds
and comprehend how they relate to letters and words, which makes reading difficult. Individual
differences in the brain's language processing regions cause dyslexia, also referred to as a
reading disability.

Abandonment Issues
Ishaan naturally fears being abandoned since according to Bowlby's attachment theory, children
are born with an innate need to form attachments. This is showcased numerous times in the
movie. First, when his father threatens to leave the house permanently out of rage, he apologizes
and begs him not to. In the second instance, he has a nightmare in which he and his mother are
on a train platform, but due to the dense crowd, they are unable to board the train, and he wakes
up crying. In the third instance, as we turn each page of the flip book he created, we witness the
creative expression of abandonment as he is moving away from his family.
Depression
We notice depressive symptoms once he leaves his home and moves to a far-off school. His
friend Rajan yells out his name and inquires about his intentions as we witness him thinking of
jumping from the railing while standing there. This emphasises how Ishan had suicidal
tendencies. This occurred as a result of his altered self-concept, which led to his beginning to feel
like a failure and embarrassed of himself. Erikson's theory of development's stage 4 "Industry VS
Inferiority" states that children who get praise and encouragement from their parents and
teachers grow to feel competent and confident in their abilities.Those who receive little to no
support from their parents, instructors, or classmates will have doubts about their capacity to
succeed. Ishaan experienced this since he had very strict professors who often belittled him,
causing him to feel inferior since he was failing academically. Later, when a talented art teacher
named Ram Shankar Nikumbh entered the classroom, played the flute, sang with children,
Ishaan paid no attention at all. Because of his inner conflicts, he feels numb and lacks the ability
to appreciate enjoyable activities. Since moving to boarding school, he stopped painting too,
which he used to love doing at home indicates the loss of his imagination.

Anxiety
Ishaan skips math class in order to escape punishment from his teacher for not completing his
homework in math or turning in his test. Another day, when his parents arrive to see him at
school, he begins running on the ground. He had to deal with the stress of believing he is a
failure and of silent disappointments. This suggests that he has the tendency to escape from
situations which makes him anxious and he runs away from his problems.

Conclusion
The metaphor "five unequal fingers make a hand," used in the film, denotes that there are all
kinds of people in the world, each with unique skills to form something larger than the sum of
it’s parts. According to studies, words carry energy, and yelling at a plant may lead to it
experiencing negative energy that may harm it and make it wilt. Therefore, it is undoubtedly
detrimental to people. For children to enter the zone of proximal development, they require a
little encouragement and support from their parents, teachers, and peers. Ishaan receives
intellectual and emotional support from his art teacher in the film, which helps him achieve well.
With tutoring or a specialized education programme, the majority of dyslexic children can
achieve success.