Psychological Development Across the Lifespan - The Role of Culture
3 important questions on Psychological Development Across the Lifespan - The Role of Culture
Is childhood development the same for all cultures?
Grounded in our fundamental biology, much of childhood is the same across cultures. All children grow from infants to toddlers to children to adolescents. All learn to walk and talk and play and eventually to take part in the work of their society. All children develop profound emotional attachments to their family and their primary caregivers. Moreover, all children have to develop an identity within their social group and to balance self-expression with self-inhibition.
Within these broad outlines, however, there are many areas for cultural differences.
Within these broad outlines, however, there are many areas for cultural differences.
When do cultural differences become apparent?
In earliest development, cultural influences take a backseat to the role of biology. With time, however, the impact of culture becomes more powerful.
Cultural influences are subtle in the infancy, toddler, and preschool years. By middle childhood, cultural differences become more central as the child is educated in the specific ways of his or her culture. By adolescence, cultural differences are even more acute, as adolescents prepare to tak on an adult role within their own culture.
Cultural influences are subtle in the infancy, toddler, and preschool years. By middle childhood, cultural differences become more central as the child is educated in the specific ways of his or her culture. By adolescence, cultural differences are even more acute, as adolescents prepare to tak on an adult role within their own culture.
How do cultural differences complicate our theories of psychology?
Psychology is the study of the human mind and aims to find universal roles of human behavior. As the sicence of psychology developed in Western Europe and America, many psychological theories have been limited by a kind of cultural myopia, a short sightedness.
Aspects of psychological development that were assumed to be universal turn out to be culturally specific. This does not mean that all or our classic psychological theories are without merit, but we have to be cautious when assuming that what is true in one culture is necessarily true in another.
Aspects of psychological development that were assumed to be universal turn out to be culturally specific. This does not mean that all or our classic psychological theories are without merit, but we have to be cautious when assuming that what is true in one culture is necessarily true in another.
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