In order to fully understand the human experience from conception to adolescence, it is important to acknowledge and analyze how our social and environmental surroundings impact our development. How does the neighborhood I live in impact my access to learning? How do race and ethnicity relate to opportunities or barriers I may face in my early life? These questions bring up the notions of equity and social justice. Equity is defined as an ideal aimed at achieving fairness and justice by providing the conditions needed for people to thrive in their environments. Social justice is the belief that all people deserve equal rights, protections, and opportunities in society.

In this textbook, we acknowledge that a child’s development cannot be separated from the larger forces surrounding them. Significant social and environmental inequalities such as racism, classism, and ableism, affect certain groups more than others. These issues need to be addressed directly if we want to achieve developmental justice for all children. We define developmental justice as the belief that children deserve respect, equal rights, and access to optimal conditions in order to thrive in their lives. Developmental justice incorporates the ideals of equity and the beliefs that underlie social justice work.

In 1943, Abraham Maslow introduced his psychological theory, known as the Hierarchy of Needs, in an attempt to understand human motivation (table 1.1). Maslow was a humanist who believed that people strive to be the best version of themselves. While the table structure somewhat demonstrates a rigid flow up the hierarchy, Maslow recognized that the order of one’s needs does not always follow a standard progression.

Table 1.1 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs by Christina Belli is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

From a human development perspective, we can see how a child who lacks safety in their home or surrounding environment might have a difficult time self-actualizing. Or how a child who lacks regular access to food or water might struggle with their self-esteem or sense of belonging. While we certainly do not believe that children progress through this pyramid predictably, we can confidently say that children who do not have their basic needs met experience some form of disruption or barrier to their development. Unfortunately, some children will experience more disadvantages than others over their lifetime.

1.4.1 Systemic Inequalities

Privilege and power structures play a significant role in how people interact with the world and thereby impact a child’s identity, physical and mental health, and development. Privilege is an advantage and opportunity based on social identity, which can be earned or unearned. Privilege can be seen as a special right or immunity denied to others, not within your group.

Oppression is the opposite experience of privilege. Oppression is a form of systemic injustice based on social identity resulting in social disadvantages and barriers to individuals and groups. Oppression can be seen as a negative treatment that is unjust or the feeling of being heavily burdened by negative conditions.

Children will experience varying levels of privilege and oppression based on their social identity groups. For example, a child may be born into a family with two parents, average to higher wealth, live in a safe neighborhood, and have access to quality healthcare and education. This child experiences privileges on many levels, and we can assume that they will have fewer disruptions to their development based on the opportunities available.

Children of color often have negative experiences based on their race or ethnic identity. They might be taunted at school by other children or be discriminated against in the school system. This treatment can impact a child’s self-esteem, attendance at school, or level of academic achievement. Their experience with race may be compounded by the burdens of poverty or by living in an unsafe neighborhood. The cumulative effects of these disadvantages are significant and can negatively impact development.

1.4.2 Intersectionality

Each person carries a variety of personal and social identities that can change over time. These identities are tied to specific experiences with privilege and oppression. Kimberlé Crenshaw (1989) developed the term intersectionality to describe how experiences with racism and sexism contribute to the marginalization of Black women, specifically in legal sectors of society. The term has been broadened in recent literature. Intersectionality refers to the interconnected relationship between systemic privilege and oppression, social identities, and the impact on one’s experiences in society.

1.4.3 Social Determinants

Social determinants are the physical and social circumstances into which people are born and live throughout their lives. These circumstances are shaped by larger forces such as the economy, politics, and systemic inequalities like racism and classism. Social determinants can substantially influence the development of children and adults throughout their lifespan. Some examples of social determinants include access to quality education, community cohesion and resources, the health and safety of one’s neighborhood, and the level of financial stability present in one’s life.

The United States, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, is not even close to being one of the healthiest countries globally (Swain, 2016). Disparities in health outcomes among socially disadvantaged populations appear to drive this gap. Eliminating health disparities to achieve health equity has been the goal of public health for quite some time. Public health officials have focused their efforts on identifying and addressing social determinants of health. Social determinants of health are the “conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes” (CDC, 2022).

Some examples of social determinants of health are access to quality healthcare, the toxicity of neighborhoods, and access to nutritious foods. Resources that improve quality of life such as affordable housing, access to education, and availability of healthy foods can significantly influence population health outcomes (CDC, 2022). We will be discussing these issues in more depth throughout the textbook.

1.4.4 Using this textbook with its intended purpose

This textbook can be used for people learning about the full child lifespan, or the units can be taught independently. The chapter orders may be followed, focusing on age progression of development. However, it would be appropriate to use chapters selectively if that better fits the focus of the course. This book is written with the intention of employing a social justice understanding of human development. Thus, a course that does not intend to apply this focus may find the course material difficult to align without this lens.