Social Perspectives on Development

• Credit value: 15 credits at Level 5
• Convenor: Ana Da Cunha Lewin
• Assessment: a 1000-word essay (50%) and 1000-word case study (50%)

In this module you will gain a more detailed understanding of the experience of childhood by exploring key developmental milestones, psychological, social and cultural processes, life events and rites of passage.

We will focus on further exploring the internal (psychological) and external (social) factors that shape the experience of infancy, childhood and adolescence and the ways these are expressed in children’s and young people’s behaviours and interactions.

Indicative syllabus

• Understanding early childhood (0-7): how babies and young children communicate and express their individuality; the main developmental milestones that underpin understandings of the world and of themselves; ways of relating to others; bonding and relationships with siblings and others during infancy; dependence and the first signs of individuality; transition to school; peer groups; early signs of identity; learning; motivation; managing conflict; the significant role of context (socio-cultural environment) in shaping young children’s experiences; different cultural understandings of childhood and the ways these influence different practices.

• Understanding middle childhood (8-12): the experiences of school-aged and pre-adolescent children; peer relationships, power relationships, aggression and bullying; emerging identity, gender and the onset of puberty; the role of time and place in shaping the experience of childhood in relation to beliefs and practices of different cultural settings.

• Understanding late childhood (13-18): the processes and experiences of young people; adolescents’ sense of self; identity; sexuality; relationships; transitions; the influence of the media on the changing social and cultural landscape.

By the end of this module, you should be able to:

• recognise the interplay of key psychological, social and cultural processes and life experiences that are characteristic of, and experienced during, childhood and adolescence
• appreciate the ways such experiences influence personality and behaviour
• appreciate the formative effects of social factors such as familial, cultural and media influences, interactions with siblings and peers and the process of socialisation in the modern world have on childhood experiences and development
• evaluate the role of time and place in shaping childhood experiences by contrasting between different cultural contexts.