This chapter will take you on a quick journey through time and some of the debates about human development that have emerged, especially in the last 150 years. We do this in order to show the way the field has emerged so that you, the reader, have more understanding of why certain kinds of research and ideas have been popular or have lost favour over time. | Chapter 1 What IS human development? Introducing human development Human development can be defined as a process of progressive changes in people's lives over time that enables them to adapt more effectively to their environments. Points to note: People always have many forms of connections with one another. What counts as progress (improvement) is not always clear. Change is always happening. We are interested in the conditions that enhance people's lives, so that we can live well in the situations in which we find ourselves. Place shapes and locates the conditions of our lives. Invite students to think about the many forms of connection or relationship they have with other people. A social constructionist approach Ideas about developmental progress: change over time are different at different times in history foreground different assumptions from time to time. Developmental progress is not in one direction only. It is not a single line with one goal. It is complex and has many strands. There is no single truth about 'right' development. People have different views that they regard as true. Cultures have different ideas of what makes for a good journey though life. The concept of development Evolutionary theory encouraged those interested in social progress to think that: Some developmental changes help the species survive. Developmental change follows a pattern from primitive to more highly evolved, in stages. Speedy development through stages is an advantage. The history of child development began with attempts to chart 'normal' development. The power of norms A norm is often also seen as an expected appearance or behaviour. We derive norms by tracing patterns of development by individuals, finding the average, then generalising them. This approach is seen as scientific. It allows prediction. It offers criteria for measuring developmental progress. A norm is sometimes seen as an ideal. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this kind of . | Chapter 1 What IS human development? Introducing human development Human development can be defined as a process of progressive changes in people's lives over time that enables them to adapt more effectively to their environments. Points to note: People always have many forms of connections with one another. What counts as progress (improvement) is not always clear. Change is always happening. We are interested in the conditions that enhance people's lives, so that we can live well in the situations in which we find ourselves. Place shapes and locates the conditions of our lives. Invite students to think about the many forms of connection or relationship they have with other people. A social constructionist approach Ideas about developmental progress: change over time are different at different times in history foreground different assumptions from time to time. Developmental progress is not in one direction only. It is not a single line with one goal. It is complex and has .
