Edc1100 - Society Begins at Home
EDC1100
Lifespan Development and Learning
Course Examiner: Dr Patrick O’Brien
Tutor: Ms Linda De George Walker
Critical review of
Society begins at home
By Sally Weale
Due Date: May 30, 2011
Word Count: 1557
The article, Society begins at home, written by Sally Weale for The Age on May 9 2010, takes an objective look at two books written by author Sue Gerherdt, Why Love Matters: How Affection Shapes a Baby’s Brain and The Selfish Society. Weale emphasizes Gerherdt’s main objectives of both books, being how environment and experience at the start of life and through early childhood, namely childcare, effect a child’s development and ultimately society. This essay will analyse and evaluate four issues raised throughout the article with the intention of answering the question “is our future shaped by our childhood?” The issues that will be addressed include: children’s development in response to environment and care received at birth; the importance of parent relationships on emotional development; non parental childcare and the effects on development; how society affects development.
Children who experience an environment enabling them to explore emotionally, cognitively and socially, have greater opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of their world, assisting them to develop normally. There is no doubt that our genes play a major role in providing a path for cell migration, however research today is revealing that experiences shape our brains physically (Zigler, Finn-Stevenson, Hall, 2002). Cognitive developmental theorist Jean Piaget theorized species adapted to their environment in order to survive. He believed children to be active agents in their own development (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000). If a child is brought up in an emotionally lax environment, the child will adapt to that environment by becoming needy in order to survive.
Albert Bandura, a social cognitive theorist, strongly believed in observational learning.
Lifespan Development and Learning
Course Examiner: Dr Patrick O’Brien
Tutor: Ms Linda De George Walker
Critical review of
Society begins at home
By Sally Weale
Due Date: May 30, 2011
Word Count: 1557
The article, Society begins at home, written by Sally Weale for The Age on May 9 2010, takes an objective look at two books written by author Sue Gerherdt, Why Love Matters: How Affection Shapes a Baby’s Brain and The Selfish Society. Weale emphasizes Gerherdt’s main objectives of both books, being how environment and experience at the start of life and through early childhood, namely childcare, effect a child’s development and ultimately society. This essay will analyse and evaluate four issues raised throughout the article with the intention of answering the question “is our future shaped by our childhood?” The issues that will be addressed include: children’s development in response to environment and care received at birth; the importance of parent relationships on emotional development; non parental childcare and the effects on development; how society affects development.
Children who experience an environment enabling them to explore emotionally, cognitively and socially, have greater opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of their world, assisting them to develop normally. There is no doubt that our genes play a major role in providing a path for cell migration, however research today is revealing that experiences shape our brains physically (Zigler, Finn-Stevenson, Hall, 2002). Cognitive developmental theorist Jean Piaget theorized species adapted to their environment in order to survive. He believed children to be active agents in their own development (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000). If a child is brought up in an emotionally lax environment, the child will adapt to that environment by becoming needy in order to survive.
Albert Bandura, a social cognitive theorist, strongly believed in observational learning.