Sociocultural and Ecological Human Developmental Theories - Term Paper Example

Running Head: DEVELOPMENTAL THEORIES ANALYSIS Introduction Kail & Cavanaugh (2010) define human development as a science involved in the study of how people change and how they remain the same over time (4). Every individual is a unique human being with unique characteristics and experiences. However, there are some commonalities between people due to interaction between them. Human development is a complex issue which prompts scientists to get involved in research in order to understand human behavior. Researchers are concerned with resolving issues such as; hereditary and environmental influence on development, whether development is continuous, and whether development is universal or context-specific. As such, various theories such as psychoanalytic, cognitive, learning, and ecological theories have been advanced to explain how humans develop and continue to develop. This paper will evaluate two major theories:-sociocultural theory which is one of cognitive theories and ecological theory. Sociocultural Theory The sociocultural theory was advanced by Lev Vygotsky though he died before his theory was fully developed (Shaffer, 2009). He focused on cognitive development of children which he believed is achieved through social interactions with parents, teachers, peers and more knowledgeable persons. Every aspect of a child’s development is guided by cultural values and skills conveyed by adults hence according to him, development is an apprenticeship (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2010). In this theory, language is used as a means of thinking and directing behavior. Children talk to themselves in what Vygotsky called private speech in solving their problems in their own minds. As they interact and communicate with adults and more experienced people, the language becomes sophisticated and they develop a higher understanding and start internalizing their thoughts without speaking them out. Children learn through various ways in developing their mental capacities and learning begins at birth and continues throughout their lives. They observe the other members of the family and community and imitate their actions. They also learn by listening to the instructions given by the teacher or any other adult through scaffolding. Another method is through collaborative learning where peer groups work together and improve their understanding (KidsDevt, 2000-2010). Though children acquire skills, values and beliefs relevant in their culture from other members of the community, they are born with few mental functions which develop as they continue to interact. Shaffer (2009) argues that learning is achieved through the ‘zone of proximal development’ which is the difference between actual level of development and potential level of development. Full development according to Vygotsky depends on full social interaction during that period. Since children are molded by their specific culture, various cultures are perceived to have different intellectual levels as they have different values, beliefs and skills and different tools of intellectual adaptation. Culture therefore provides the means to through language, what to think in terms of cultural expectations and how to think by use of adaptation tools. Merits and Demerits of Sociocultural Theory The sociocultural theory helps in understanding the effects of culture on human development hence expose the children to rich culture. It also helps the parents in understanding their children and guiding them by providing them with a variety of social situations such as meeting people above their knowledge level and be part of a group so as to gain new ideas and develop intellectually (KidsDevt, 2000-2010). Teachers also can use the theory to determine the medium of instruction and the content to teach. They also understand the different intellectual levels of students and help them to grow. The importance of collaboration between the child, peers, parents and teachers is also emphasized for proper development of the child. Vygostsky’s theory has been criticized for various reasons. He emphasizes on guided learning through verbal instructions and this may not be relevant in some forms of learning and may also not be useful in some cultures whose skills depend on observation (Shaffer, 2009). A child’s knowledge is also limited to what the culture can offer regardless of whether it is useful to the child and may hinder a child from adapting to a new cultural environment. Collaboration with peers may result in negative consequences rather than mental development. Ecological Theory One of the major proponents of ecological theory is Urie Bronfenbrenner. He emphasizes on natural environmental influence on human development (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). He also emphasizes on interconnectivity of all aspects of development which are inseparable from environmental contexts. He argues that a developing person is entangled in a series of complex and interactive systems which he categorized into four. The first category is Microsystems which involves immediate environment consisting of family members, peers and day care settings as well as biological characteristics. Microsystems are linked together by the other category of mesosystem. He also claims that individuals are influenced indirectly by other social settings which they have no relation with such as the government policies and work environments of parents. These social settings are the exosystems. The last category is the macrosystem which incorporates the culture in which child develops and incorporates all the other systems. The systems are assumed to interact with each other and with individuals to influence development (Shaffer, 2009). In this system, each person influences and is influenced by all the others in the system hence development is continuous. Merits and Demerits of Ecological Theory The ecological theory is appreciated for giving a detailed analysis of environmental influence on human development. A better understanding of development is achieved through observing the natural settings and hence understands how to optimize children’s development (Shaffer, 2009). The Mesosystems helps to understand how one system influences the other and hence the people in the system can be able to help in development by shaping their own behaviors first. For example, a parent’s working situation can affect how the child develops and therefore it is upon the parent to choose what is best for the child. It also helps to understand the role of culture in development hence know the content that is supposed to be taught to the child. The theory has been criticized for not elaborating on the contribution of biological factors on understanding of development (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2010). The theory talks a lot about environmental factors but the role of biological factors which is also essential is not taken into account. Shaffer (2009) argues that the theory does not elaborate on how the children and the adults process the environmental information and learn from their experiences before understanding how the environment influences development. The culture dictates how children should be treated and what to be taught hence what they learn is limited to their culture. Development thus differs in different cultures and the theory does not help to understand how people adapt in different cultures in order to develop more. The direction of development may also change as environment changes depend on other chronological variables hence the development is not entirely as a result of environmental influence. Similarities between Sociocultural and Ecological Theory There are various similarities between the two theories. They both acknowledge that human development is affected by biological factors or nature-nurture interaction although the ecological theory does not dwell on biological factors much (Shaffer, 2009). They also see development as a continuous process from birth to death. Both theories acknowledge the role played by culture in development and emphasize that culture determines what is to be learnt and how it is to be learnt depending on the goals of each culture and hence development is not universal but context-specific (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2010). Differences between Sociocultural and Ecological Theories The two theories though with similarities also have differences. Vygotsky theory is based on cultural influence on development while Bronfenbrenner’s theory emphasizes on environmental influence on development. Sociocultural theory is concerned with mental development which is achieved through guided learning by parents, teachers and more knowledgeable persons while ecological theory is more of behavioral which is learnt through observation. The ecological theory stresses development through interlinked systems which influence each other and the individual hence development occurs at various levels. On the other hand, learning in sociocultural theory is achieved through the zone of proximal development. In ecological theory, development may be influenced indirectly by factors such as government policies. Sociocultural theory involves passing of values, beliefs and skills to individuals and is passed directly through social interactions. The developmental theory aligned with my view on human development is the sociocultural theory. What we are is determined by beliefs, customs, values and skills which are embedded in our culture. Children are socialized into society and hence learn important skills which help them to survive in the society. Their way of thinking is influenced by the people who teach them who include mostly the parents, teachers and peer influence. References Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The Ecology of Human Development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Kail, R. and Cavanaugh, J. (2010). Human Development: A Life-span View, 5th edition. USA: Cengage learning. KidsDevt. (2000-2010). “Vygotsky and Socio-cultural Theory”. Retrieved November 2, 2010 from http://www.kidsdevt.co.uk/VygotskySocioCulturalTheory.htm Shaffer, D. (2009). Social and Personality Development, 6th edition. USA: Cengage Learning. Read More