Chapter 1
Introduction
Outline
Why study children?
Child development--today & yesterday
The nature of development
Careers in child development
Why study children?
Applications
Differences in opinions among experts
Understand change
Child developmentToday & Yesterday
Family issues
working parents
single parents
day-care arrangements
latchkey kids
Child developmentToday & Yesterday
Education
poor preparation of school children
increasingly complex future
poorly prepared teachers
less time spent on academics in school
not challenging work
high dropout rates
Child developmentToday & Yesterday
Sociocultural contexts
increasing ethnic diversity
poverty
social support programs


Child developmentToday & Yesterday
Four concepts of sociocultural contexts of development
context 
historical, economic, social, cultural factors
culture
ethnicity
gender
Child developmentToday & Yesterday
What other contemporary concerns related to children’s development can you think of?
Child developmentToday & Yesterday
Historical Accounts of Childhood
medieval Europe
miniature adults? 
Three philosophical views of children
original sin (Bible)
tabula rasa (Locke)
innate goodness (Rousseau)
Child developmentToday & Yesterday
Social policy
What is it?
Relation to study of children?
Relation to political system?

The Nature of Development
What is development?
Processes:
Biological
Cognitive 
Socioemotional 

The Nature of Development
Periods of development
prenatal
infancy
early, middle, late childhood
adolescence 
adulthood
The Nature of Development
Developmental issues
nature vs. nurture
continuity vs. discontinuity
early vs. late experience
Careers in Child Development
child clinical psychologist
child welfare worker
day-care worker
professor
guidance counselor
pediatrician/pediatric nurse
teacher
school psychologist
Quiz #1
Briefly describe one of the philosophical views of childhood.
Briefly describe one sociocultural context believed to be critical to child development.