Human Growth and Development - Research Paper Example

Human growth and development There are four different stages that may be identified in human growth and development; they are babyhood, childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Human development has been defined as follows: “The field of human development focuses on the growth and development of the human being, including physical, social, psychological, and emotional development from conception through death.” (Salkind, 2006:xli). The birth of a baby is an occasion of joy for the parents and the family. When a human being first enters the world in the form of a baby, s/he is helpless and completely dependent on others. The baby is unable to ingest solid food and breastfeeding becomes its source of food and comfort. Nursing is an important aspect of the transition of a human being from the babyhood stage to toddlerhood, with breastfeeding playing a significant role in the developing intimacy of mother and child (Dougherty, 1995). From the stage of babyhood, the young infant passes into the stage of childhood, when s/he has developed a greater level of control over bodily functions. A child learns to take a much greater initiative and work towards developing leadership and fulfillment of goals. For instance, a child is generally able to use the bathroom, dress himself or herself and engage in a wide range of locomotory activities. According to Bee and Boyd (2004), the child at this stage must deal with the complexities inherent in developing a sense of judgment as to how best to get along with peers and manage its activities in the world with a greater level of independence. Moreover, the child is beginning to master the world around, developing basic skills and physics principles; for example, things can fall down, hot things burn and similar knowledge. Childhood is a time where the child begins to develop cognitively, along with physical growth. They understand concepts such as telling time, space, reading and writing. They are just emerging from the pre-operational stage of cognitive development as set out by Piaget, where they find it easier to learn if they can see and use practical examples, although they are also beginning to think on a more abstract level, where shapes for instance, can represent objects (Burnham, 2003:67). From childhood, an individual transitions into adolescence, where there is a major identity crisis, and confusion in roles, as to where the individual will fit into society. It is a traumatic period, where adolescents feel a strong need to conform to their peer groups. While physical and cognitive skills may have been mastered to a considerable degree, they now need to find their role and place in the world. Human beings transition into adulthood at the age of twenty one, where they become legally responsible for their own actions and need to assume responsibility for their own lives. As opposed to childhood, where the acquisition of motor and cognitive skills is more important, adulthood is characterized by a period where an individual’s sense of purpose is more important. Moral development: The development of morals in human beings may be different for males and females. Kohlberg’s stages of moral development outline three major stages: (a) Pre-moral or pre-conventional stages (b) conventional morality and (c) Post conventional or principled morality. During the pre-moral stage, which lasts up to 10-13 years of age, human behaviour is not motivated by high moral considerations, rather the issue is mainly one of avoiding punishment, or alternatively, doing something in anticipating of getting something desired in return. This is the stage through which most human being progress during childhood. Conventional morality is the acceptance of the standards of one’s group as to what is right and what is wrong. This stage develops until middle age and in general, most individuals may not even progress higher than this stage. Post conventional morality is a higher level of morality, wherein the yardstick against which moral development takes place is not the standards of one’s group but rather, the logical application of moral principles. This is a high level of moral development and not many attain to it. Psychosocial development: Erickson has set out eight stages of human development on the basis of their psychosocial development, leading up all the way from infancy into late adulthood. Each of these stages is characterized by new challenges which the individual meets and overcomes, in order to advance to the next stage. The first stage of infancy centers on the basic needs of infants being met by their parents, and the quality of this interaction will determine whether or not the infant grows up to be a well adjusted human being. According to Erickson (1959), since the infant is entirely dependent upon its parents at this stage, regularly exposing it to warmth and security created trust in the infant, whereas, if the parents fail to provide a safe environment and meet the child’s basic needs, it will develop a sense of mistrust, As a result, the most important challenge that a baby must overcome at this stage is to determine whether or not the world is a safe place to be depending upon the kind of care provided by the caregivers. The main issue at this stage is therefore: trust v mistrust. The second stage is that of autonomy v self doubt. When babies pass into toddlerhood, they begin to explore their surroundings. If their attempts at self sufficiency are encouraged, they will develop autonomy but if these attempts are ridiculed or actively discouraged, they develop shame and doubt about their own ability to handle the problems they come up against. The major psychosocial issue that individuals face at this stage is therefore the question of whether they feel capable of handling problems or not. From the stage of babyhood, the human being passes into childhood. According to Erickson (1959), during this stage the preschool child faces the issue of Initiative v guilt. Preschool is a time when children begin to develop courage and independence. While taking the initiative, children may need to assert themselves; when they are unable to achieve the goals they set out to, they may get frustrated and become aggressive, demonstrating this aggression through acts such as throwing things, hitting, etc. They may also develop a sense of shame if not reassured and encouraged to work harder to develop their skills and achieve their goals at a subsequent date. The next stage is industry v inferiority that comes between the ages of 7 to 12 years. The primary school stage provides opportunities for young children to demonstrate skills such as reading and writing in school. When they gain the approval of their teachers, parents and others important to them, they become self confident and are diligent in their work. If they are unable to achieve their goals they become diffident and develop feelings of inferiority about their capabilities. Adolescence is a period characterized by Identity v role confusion. During this stage, as children transition from childhood into adulthood, they begin to think about their role in the adult world and how they will fit into society. The major challenge that must be overcome at this stage is role confusion and it ends when adolescents develop a sense of their own identity and where they are headed. They are anxious to gain the approval of their peers and to fit in with the rest of their group. Young adulthood passes into the stage of intimacy v isolation. During this stage, young adults are still anxious to gain the approval of others within their own circle, but they also become less self absorbed and capable of making the necessary sacrifices to enjoy strong intimate relationships. Hence the major challenge during this phase becomes one of learning how to establish identity and enter into long term commitments to others. References: Bee, Helen and Boyd, Denise, 2004. “The developing child”, Allyn and Bacon. Burnham, Louise, 2003. “The Teaching Assistant’s Handbook”, Oxford: Heinemann Publishers Erikson, Erik H, 1959. “Identity and the Life Cycle”, New York: International Universities Press. Leach, Penelope, 2003. “Your baby and child”, Dorling Kindersley Salkind, Neil J, 2006. “Encyclopedia of human development”, Sage Read More