The study of human development is vast and helps us categorize behavior and learning. We experience a tremendous amount of change and growth over our lifespans. This growth is not only dependent on biology, but also on the social and environmental structures surrounding us. Children’s growth is categorized using developmental domains and milestones that give us guidance on when to expect certain behaviors and how to support those behaviors. Parents and caregivers play a vital role in this process, but children are also sensitive to the outside social and environmental forces that can either support or hinder growth.

Oppressive social circumstances and negative environmental stressors create disparities that impact the lives of children over the course of their development. Understanding and addressing these barriers is one of the primary goals of this textbook. There are many diverse views about child development, but what is clear is that all societies strive to support healthy development and the ability to live long and happy lives. This is the essence of the human experience.

Review of Learning Objectives

1. Summarize the rise of human development as a discipline and how historical context has impacted views on human development.
2. Describe the developmental span through the foundational principles of equity and inclusion.

Comprehension Check

Review of Key Terms

• Adaptive development: a process by which children learn skills and behaviors that allow them to engage in developmentally appropriate self-care and life tasks
• Cognitive development: a process by which children acquire and process information and then learn how to use it in their environment
• Developmental domain: a broad area of development that encompasses a range of skills and abilities
• Developmental milestones: skills and behaviors used to evaluate age-related progress within a given domain
• Developmental justice: the belief that children are deserving of respect, equal rights, and access to the optimal conditions needed to thrive in their lives
• Equity: an ideal aimed at achieving fairness and justice by providing the conditions needed for people to thrive in their environments
• Gender identity development: the construction of one’s understanding of their gender
• Human development: the study of how humans change and grow over their lifespan
• Intersectionality: the interconnected relationship between systemic privilege and oppression, social identities, and the impact on one’s experiences in society
• Language development: a process by which children acquire and process language and learn how to use it to communicate with others
• Moral development: a process by which children process their understanding of right and wrong as related to their social and environmental contexts
• Physical development: a process in which children’s brains and bodies grow to help them engage with and thrive in their environment
• Privilege: advantage and opportunity based on social identity which can be earned or unearned
• Oppression: a form of systemic injustice based on social identity resulting in social disadvantages and barriers to individuals and groups
• Sexual development: a biological and physiological process by which children develop awareness of their bodies leading to sexual maturation, sexual identity, and awareness of oneself as a sexual being
• Social construction: a concept or idea that is assigned a specific meaning or value in a society
• Social determinants: the physical and social circumstances, shaped by larger societal forces, that can substantially influence individual and group outcomes
• Social determinants of health: the conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes
• Social and emotional development: a process by which children gain understanding of themselves, their emotions, and the connections between themselves and others
• Social justice: the belief that all people are deserving of equal rights, protections, and opportunities in society
• Systemic inequalities: biases and practices embedded within systems of society that lead to advantages for some groups in society and disadvantages for others

Licenses and Attributions for Conclusion

“Conclusion” by Christina Belli is licensed under CC BY 4.0.