Essay
Child Development Assignment 1
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- University Of South Africa (Unisa)
500 word essay as per assignment criteria. Mark of 76% obtained.
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PYC4805 Assignment 1 Developmental PsychologyDevelopmental Contexts that Shape Children’s lives
Belsky (2108) discusses that in exploring the developmental context that shape a child’s life
one needs to understand the cohort as well as the lens through which development is being
explored. Developmental science, which is a relatively new discipline, can be explored in a
variety of scientific, medical, biological, educational and psychological ways – it is a
multidisciplinary science. The contexts of development are the basic markers that shape
children’s lives (Belsky, 2018) Those involved in understanding the development of children
and adolescents chart the normal milestones and look at individual traits and abilities. These
are seen alongside the impact of child-rearing and situational aspects relating to the child. In
the cohort of the 20th Century we have seen an improvement in the treatment of children and
a focus on their well-being. It is in this time that we have seen developmentalists focus on
researching, studying and formulating theories on children and their behaviours
Changes in Society
The four changes in society which influence child development are 1. an extension of life
expectancy; better health care, food quality and improved affluence saw more children
survive into adulthood. 2. An escalation in education through specific child and adolescent
schooling as well as a delayed start to adult commitments and further studies into the early
twenties ensures that children are reliant on their parents for longer and that this life phase is
seen as a specific developmental phase where an individual is exploring their place in the
world. 3. A decrease in family size, from lower fertility rates and the trend to delay marriage
and childbearing as well as the choices made by baby boomers and the generations after this
to consciously have smaller families we have seen the birth rate drop significantly. Older,
more affluent couples have the luxury to lavish attention on (each child). (Belskey, 2018) 4.
Finally, family structures have changed; there is a decline in the traditional western two
parent families, evident in that often both parents are working outside the home as well as
more tolerance for families to be made up in different ways and the increase of single parent
households. These changes directly influence the socio-economic standing of the family.
Impacts on Child Development
Socioeconomics plays a significant role in development. Developing countries with
impoverished economies show large gaps in a babies development when comparted to
developed-world countries. Differences in culture and ethnicity also have a significant impact
on development. This is seen in cultures that show collectivist social norms versus those who
have individualistic attitudes. A child’s gender and gender identity shape the child’s
development, especially in regards to societal expectations placed on different genders. Many
3555-836-9 DONNA D'ELBOUX
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