Part 1: Introduction to Infancy: Historical & Philosophical Foundations Flashcards
Why study infancy?
- The first step in development:
– Provides insights into human nature
– The foundation of what we will become - Incredibly rapid changes, organizations, and
reorganizations - As a microsystem, illustrating all the principles in the process of development
- Knowledge needed to guide social policy
Historical and Philosophical Roots
- Historical conceptions of infancy and childhood:
- Separate and special, yes
- But full understanding of infancy? no
- Philosophical and historical roots in Western thought
- Underlying issues:
- The contribution of nature vs. nurture
- Development propelled by active or passive forces
- Development as continuous or discontinuous
- The child as inherently good or evil
Nature vs. Nurture
- Are behaviors, traits, etc. and age
related change the result of
biological factors, e.g. genetics and
maturation (nature) - Are behaviors, traits, etc. and age
related change the result of
environmental factors such as
experience, parenting, etc.
(nurture) - Now, we focus on understanding
the complex interactions
between the two - Even there in biology: Epigenetics
Active vs. Passive
Active
* Do children select their environments? Do human infants have
preferences to attend to certain information? Are we by nature
curious, motivated, explorative?
Passive
* Or, do we need to be motivated by external rewards or
punishments?
Development as continuous
Change is uniform & gradual
Development discontinuous
- Discontinuity view: Change can be rapid, with qualitatively different stages across the lifespan lifespan –
ex:Piaget a “stage” theorist
Plato
- emphasized self-control and discipline
- believed that children are
born with** innate knowledge**(nature)
Aristotle:
- was concerned with fitting child rearing to the needs of** the individual child**
- believed that knowledge comes from experience(nurture)
John Locke
saw the child as a tabula rasa – knowledge has to be learned -
and advocated first instilling discipline, then gradually increasing the child’s freedom.
nurture
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
saw the child as inherently curious, and argued that parents and society should give the child maximum freedom from the beginning.
(nature?)
Social change follows philosophical & economical developments
Industrial revoultion
(1700-1900)
- The notion of childhood
lost again – temporarily - Wealthy children dressed
and treated like small adults - Poorer children worked in
mills factories, and mines
Only gradually did child labour laws emerge
- Literature - Oliver Twist
- Earl of Shaftesbury: British
House of Commons in 1843 - Forbade employment of
children under 10 - In 1847, 13-18 yr olds limited
to 10 hrs/day - Laws not extended to small
factories until 1866
Changes for Children
- Gradual influence of philosophers on society
- And a concern about development
-
Schooling
– First only for moral well being
– Only later for intellectual growth & learning - Gradual improvement in standard of living
– Schooling initially for the wealthy
– Gradually extended to all children
