Module Lectures8.html

Context of Development – Peers, Schools, and Technology

Individual development, whether typical or atypical, does not occur in a vacuum. The strictly biological domain, or the extreme side of the nature versus nurture continuum, might state that our development is predetermined by genetic and biological factors. However, the mental health profession has remained centrally concerned with the social forces as powerful shaping influences on development. The diagnostic criteria for most mental health disorders include a simple statement that, regardless of the presence of symptoms, they must result in a significant disturbance in the social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning of the individual’s life (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). In other words, mental health diagnosis depends on the context in which the individual is experiencing symptoms, and how those symptoms impact his or her ability to function on a daily basis.

Urie Bronfenbrenner, in his ecological systems model, identifies different levels of impact that various social systems might have on development. While this is a rather complex theory, it stresses the fact that as an individual develops, she comes into contact with increasingly complex forces that shape her development. For example, the family system forms the first social context that influences development. An individual is raised in a family that has structure, rules, and values. As an individual grows and adapts to these influences, she forms an understanding of how she interacts with others, how others perceive her, and some of the values that she has as an individual. As an individual grows and begins to enter school, she encounters additional rules and expectations that she must adapt to as she develops. School, peers, activities, neighborhoods, communities, and even the country present systems that an individual interacts with that influence development. Accounting for these influences presents a multilayered and complex challenge for developmental psychology.

This module focuses on three key social influences on development. Peers present the individual’s first encounter with a system of interaction outside of the family unit, and comprehending and negotiating behavior requires social, physical, and cognitive skills. Schools present a unique challenge as our second key social influence, due to the highly structured nature and purpose of education presented in a social context with peers separate from the family. The final aspect to examine is the information generation, or the digital divide. Developmental psychology is struggling to assess the impact of this new system of interaction and communication on the development of children and adolescents, and an exploration of the development impact technology may have is crucial for future research.

References

American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Publishing.

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1977). Toward an experimental ecology of human development. American Psychologist, 32(7), 513–531.