The Cultural Nature of Human Development


Book Description

Three-year-old Kwara'ae children in Oceania act as caregivers of their younger siblings, but in the UK, it is an offense to leave a child under age 14 ears without adult supervision. In the Efe community in Zaire, infants routinely use machetes with safety and some skill, although U.S. middle-class adults often do not trust young children with knives. What explains these marked differences in the capabilities of these children? Until recently, traditional understandings of human development held that a child's development is universal and that children have characteristics and skills that develop independently of cultural processes. Barbara Rogoff argues, however, that human development must be understood as a cultural process, not simply a biological or psychological one. Individuals develop as members of a community, and their development can only be fully understood by examining the practices and circumstances of their communities.




The Cultural Nature of Human Development


Book Description

Three-year-old Kwara'ae children in Oceania act as caregivers of their younger siblings, but in the UK, it is an offense to leave a child under age 14 ears without adult supervision. In the Efe community in Zaire, infants routinely use machetes with safety and some skill, although U.S. middle-class adults often do not trust young children with knives. What explains these marked differences in the capabilities of these children? Until recently, traditional understandings of human development held that a child's development is universal and that children have characteristics and skills that develop independently of cultural processes. Barbara Rogoff argues, however, that human development must be understood as a cultural process, not simply a biological or psychological one. Individuals develop as members of a community, and their development can only be fully understood by examining the practices and circumstances of their communities.




The Cultural Nature of Human Development


Book Description

"Barbara Rogoff argues that human development must be understood as a cultural process. Individuals develop as participants in their cultural communities, engaging with others in shared endeavors and building on cultural practices of prior generations ... [This book] identifies patterns in the differences and similarities among cultural communities, such as children's opportunities to engage in mature activities of their community or in specialized child-focused activities. The book examines classic aspects of development afresh from a cultural angle--childrearing, social relations, interdependence and autonomy, developmental transitions across the lifespan, gender roles, attachment, and learning and cognitive development"--Dust jacket.







Human Development in Cultural Context


Book Description

A comprehensive, systematic account of human development which is sensitive to the needs, interests and ecologies of nonwestern cultures and individuals is provided in this unique volume. The importance and value of the sociocultural milieu in shaping the growth and development of children is emphasized, and the author asserts throughout that children do not grow and develop according to the same patterns regardless of culture. The author describes developmental psychology from the perspective of West Africa, demonstrating how the local ecology and the resulting cultural ideology lead to differing ways in which children are conceptualized and socialized, and in turn how they develop. While much of his case material is from




Handbook of Cultural Developmental Science


Book Description

Researchers and theoreticians commonly acknowledge the profound impact of culture on all aspects of development. However, many in the field are often unaware of the latest cultural literatures or how development proceeds in places other than their home locations. This comprehensive handbook covers all domains of developmental science from a cultural point of view and in all regions of the globe. Part 1 covers domains of development across cultures, and Part 2 focuses on development in different places around the world. The Handbook documents child and caregiver characteristics associated with cultural variation, and it charts relations between cultural and developmental variations in physical, mental, emotional, and social development in children, parents, and cultural groups. This contemporary and scholarly resource of culture in development covers theoretical, methodological, substantive, and ethnic issues as well as geographic approaches. Each chapter includes an introduction, historical and demographic considerations, theory, an overview of the most important classical and modern research studies, recommended future directions in theory and research, and a conclusion. The chapters focus on children from the prenatal stage through adolescence. Interdisciplinary in nature, the Handbook will appeal to human development theoreticians, researchers, and students in psychology, education, and pediatrics. Ideal for those new to the field, readers will appreciate the plethora of cultural examples from all fields of child and human development and developmental examples from all fields of cultural study.




Developing Destinies


Book Description

Destiny and Development is an engaging narrative of one remarkable person's life and the life of her community that blends psychology, anthropology, and history to reveal the integral role that culture plays in human development.




Cultural Psychology


Book Description

The distinguished psychologist Michael Cole, known for his pioneering work in literacy, cognition, and human development, offers a multifaceted account of what cultural psychology is, what it has been, and what it can be. A rare synthesis of the theory and empirical work shaping the field, this book will become a major foundation for the emerging discipline.




Human Development


Book Description

For courses in Lifespan Development Help students understand how culture impacts development -- and why it matters Human Development: A Cultural Approach leads students to examine all stages of development through the engaging lens of culture. Jeffrey Jensen Arnett and new coauthor Lene Arnett Jensen integrate cross-cultural examples throughout the narrative to reveal the impact of cultural factors both in the US and around the world. The 3rd Edition includes thoroughly updated research and data for a learning experience that best prepares students to face challenges in our diverse and globalized world -- whether they travel the globe or remain in their hometowns. Human Development: A Cultural Approach, 3rd Edition is also available via Revel(tm), an interactive learning environment that enables students to read, practice, and study in one continuous experience.




The Cambridge Handbook of Environment in Human Development


Book Description

Families, communities and societies influence children's learning and development in many ways. This is the first handbook devoted to the understanding of the nature of environments in child development. Utilizing Urie Bronfenbrenner's idea of embedded environments, this volume looks at environments from the immediate environment of the family (including fathers, siblings, grandparents and day-care personnel) to the larger environment including schools, neighborhoods, geographic regions, countries and cultures. Understanding these embedded environments and the ways in which they interact is necessary to understand development.