Developmental Perspective
Questions:
1.Compare and contrast two of the following perspectives:
developmental perspective
cultural-historical perspective
feminist poststructuralist perspective
2.Watch the video clip from Into the Middle of Nowhere. Choose one play scenario from the video to analyse using each of your chosen perspectives from part A.
Enhancing quality of children’s lives has come to emerge as an integral national and international importance that has been at several times expressed by means of policy initiatives, programs developed, advocacy and policy initiatives. There has been a central dilemma surrounding development of children through play activities (Stodden, 2008). Well-known developmental psychologists have often combined concepts of research into a children activities of everyday lives. Several psychological researchers as Riegel, Morss, Burman, Hedegaard, Bronfenbrenner and Walkerdine proposes that children’s development have a functional approach. Whereas anthropologists and sociologists as Corsaro, Jenks, James, Qvotrup and Prout have put forward a separate view for alternative development in childhood studies. Though, each scholars have their own well-defined propositions but none have sufficiently been able to provide a combined approach towards child development within home or school settings. There are four varied perspectives which can be built upon childhood years of development that includes developmental perspective, political and economic perspective, human rights perspective and cultural-historical perspective (Gl?veanu, 2010). The scope of the current discussion is focused on contrasting developmental perceptive with that of cultural-historical perspective. While both the views offer relevant perspectives they differ highly in their nature of such descriptions.
Developmental perspectives in children includes mental, social, physical and emotional functioning as important in young children. It includes accomplishment of milestone, stage and phases of development in early childhood years as a number of transformations as mental, physical, socio-emotional and cognitive competencies develop. Through these transitions children learn acquisition capacities and skills, communicating, ways of relating, playing, learning and so on. In this phase of live children as humans are in most dependable part of life with secure along with responsive relations with others. Such relations not only ensures their existence but also development social integral, emotional security, cultural and cognitive competence. As children at their young age are sensitive to negative response as deprivation of care, distorted treatment or malnutrition, it affects them in their development (Fleer, 2009). In cases children’s needs are not met or they feel abused they continue with the repercussion in adult years as well. According to this theory, childhood years form a pathway for development for variable children capacities.
According to cultural-historical perspective, development in young children encompasses a social process. Foremost feeling that a child develops is to be a part of a family, is where they learn to feel think, act and communicate according to cultural perspective. Peer group plays, behavioral patterns, commercial toys, dressing codes, TV and other media also clearly demonstrates cultures in early childhood year. Childhood according to Qvortrup (1994) encompasses a cultural phenomenon as childhood contexts along with practices are constructed culturally. Environment in which a child grows up in cannot be termed as a natural phenomenon as classrooms, transport as school buses, playgrounds, shopping malls. These are creations by humans that regulate or inflict values in a child’s life. Children are often in ambiguous state hence take creative joys from exploring at school, playground, urban or multi-ethnic contexts (Fraser-Thomas, 2008). Different cultural backgrounds have differently institutionalized and regulated childhood as reflected in periods of history. Childhood is shaped or designed in accordance to cultural, historical, geographical, gender, poverty, wealth and various other determinants. There are also often issues across political structures, through inequalities in resources, opportunities and provisions that are shaped by means of local and global aspects. Childhood pedagogies are shaped by generations of human history, from creations through circumstances, constraints, opportunities and multiple discourse. Pedagogy invariable affects cultural assumptions or aspirations with various patterns of relationships and power across children, families, professionals and governments.
Cultural-Historical Perspective
Children developmental perspective needs to include conditions given to children by the society as well as attempting to include child’s perspective (Vaish, 2009). Cultural-Historical approach suggests that theory of children development needs to be configured around societal values, which encompasses institutional value for good life. Developmental perspective is focused on regularizing a child’s psychosocial and physical growth at time of childhood. They are exposed to their vulnerabilities and dependencies during this phase of their lives. Whereas cultural-historical perspective has tremendous respect for early childhood years for attainment of constructed status. It includes varied ways for understanding and practicing with young children along with well-defined implications, models, goals which are then defined.
2.The play, “Into the Middle of Nowhere” depicts children at play with a glimpse into their imagination. It encompasses a lovely exploration of human society and nature as this film reflects a lovely outdoor nursery (aeon.co, Retrieved on 23rd December 2017). Small children experience woods as their classroom and playground. These children explore the surrounding with their relationship with each other in the unfettered environment. The children indulges in several imaginative games and activities as flashes of their personal and collective development is noted as an example of learning through playing. The play encompasses both developmental as well as cultural-historical perspective of children play. In one incidence where development perspective was noted was that of a child trying to enjoy on the swing. In one of the scene, a small child tries to ride on a swing made from a small piece of wooden log tied to a rope to the tree. The child’s height does not match up to climb the rope and she tries continuously to embark on it. She falls off repeatedly but keeps on trying. This view of the child is noted at the initiation of the play, but towards the end of the play the child is able to climb on it and enjoy the ride on the swing. Though the child keeps banging his head on the ground and falls off yet continues playing on it. It reflects the child’s ability to continue with the physical developmental aspects of the play which is very crucial in the early years of a child. The playground activity was developed or monitored in a way to ascertain that a child tries to climb on it, fails but keeps trying. Such activities are developed to ascertain a child’s physical development and learn new skills while out in the open, these activities enable movement of the limbs, bones and stretching, in short a physical activity that is crucial for a child’s growth.
According to cultural-historical perspective, the child while climbing onto the log fails but keeps trying which reflects the child’s cultural background. Human nature is to try and avoid failures therefore, the child’s learning also reflects the same (Hedegaard, 2009). The child must have learnt from cultural-historical pedagogy that climbing has to be tried time and again before success. Finally in the second half of the play she succeeds in climbing. She takes a break from climbing onto the log by joining the group play, this reflects social skills of the child to be able to associate with the group. Though the child is indulged alone in the play activity yet sometimes the child joins the group to prove that she also is a part of the play. Also, when she repeatedly tries to climb on the log, she gets assisted by a friend in order to climb, this is also a reflection of cultural or social skills of both children. They have learned from cultural perspective to help others when in need. Therefore through this play cultural-historical as well as development needs can be reflected.
Analyzing a Play Scenario from Into the Middle of Nowhere
Though there exists a varied types of perspective on early childhood years, this discussion pertaining to development as cultural-historical perspective as reflected from the play. Insights from major theories of childhood reflects controversy and evidences around educating children and caring for them. Developmental perspective is sharply contrasted to cultural-historical perspective for their primary focuses. According to developmental perspective, it can be said that focus is on activities and role playing that can form a path for future adult years. The child when trying to climb on that swing reflective a cognitive development with a spirit of physical and emotional well-being (Missiuna, 2007). The child kept trying to board on that swing was necessary for formative years and development of a strong future or adult years. Developmental theories lay focus on perspectives regarding child’s point of view in those early years, which is not necessary in cultural-historical perspective. In the latter case, the child associating with her friend group or a friend trying to help the child was more important. This perspective lay stress on capability of a child to be able to connect herself with others in the society or amongst peers. It was crucial for the child to provide help to the other as humans we have developed in an ambience and grown by helping one another. It is a way of life and is expected that others in the group perform in a similar manner to belong to a particular culture or historical background. It provides a strong association with which the child will continue to grow later in her life. Such associations have been found to be an integral approach in cultural-historical perspective. In this perspective there is a whole underlying assumptions as to what to expect from the child or his surroundings. There are barely any allowances for individual differences. Therefore, both the views offers sharp contrast with one another as one being that to do with individual whereas other being concerned with social and cultural well-being.
Reference Lists
aeon.co. (Retrieved on 23rd December 2017). Into the Middle of Nowhere. https://aeon.co/videos/children-at-play-provide-a-rare-glimpse-into-the-imagination-ours-and-theirs.
Fleer, M. (2009). A cultural-historical perspective on play: Play as a leading activity across cultural communities. In Play and learning in early childhood settings. Springer Netherlands, 1-17.
Fraser-Thomas, J. C. (2008). Examining adolescent sport dropout and prolonged engagement from a developmental perspective. Journal of applied sport psychology, 318-333.
Gl?veanu, V. P. (2010). Paradigms in the study of creativity: Introducing the perspective of cultural psychology. New ideas in psychology, 79-93.
Hedegaard, M. (2009). Children’s development from a cultural–historical approach: Children’s activity in everyday local settings as foundation for their development. Mind, Culture, and Activity, 64-82.
Missiuna, C. M. (2007). A trajectory of troubles: parents’ impressions of the impact of developmental coordination disorder. Physical & occupational therapy in pediatrics, 81-101.
Stodden, D. F. (2008). A developmental perspective on the role of motor skill competence in physical activity: An emergent relationship. Quest, 290-306.
Vaish, A. C. (2009). Sympathy through affective perspective taking and its relation to prosocial behavior in toddlers. Developmental psychology, 534.
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