Chapter Introduction
CHAPTER 1
Introduction
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What Will You Know?
How can the study of children, each one unique, be a science? The science of human development seeks to understand how and why people—all kinds of people, everywhere, of every age—change over time. As with other scientific disciplines, the study of human development follows the scientific method, which includes starting with a theory, developing a hypothesis, designing and conducting research, analyzing data and drawing conclusions, and reporting the results.
Does his or her ethnic group make any difference in a child’s development? Yes, one's ethnic group contributes to his or her development. People of an ethnic group share certain attributes, almost always including ancestral heritage and usually national origin, religion, and language. In addition, ethnicity is a social construction affected by the social context. For everyone, ethnic identity is strengthened if (1) other members of the same group are nearby, and (2) other groups consider the person an outsider.
Is childhood today different from childhood fifty years ago? Yes. In studying development, we must not only consider how old a child is, we must also consider the political and medical conditions of a particular time period. For example, all persons born within a few years of one another are called a cohort. Cohorts travel through life together, affected by the values, events, technologies, and culture of the era. From the moment of birth, historical context is crucial. Consider the influence of electronic media, such as text messaging and Facebook on today's children and adolescents, compared to their parents' or grandparents' generation, who had to find alternative methods for communicating and staying in touch with friends and family.
How can we know what changes between one year of life and the next? Understanding human development requires careful research. Developmentalists use a variety of approaches to measure how people change, or remain the same, over time. For example, longitudinal research requires collecting data repeatedly on the same individuals as they age. As a result, developmentalists are able to determine how people change from one year to the next.
Do scientists always investigate the crucial questions? No. Although the purpose of the science of human development is to help “all kinds of people, everywhere, of every age” live satisfying and productive lives, we still have much to learn. In addition, few funders are eager to support scientific studies of certain topics, such as drug abuse, poverty, nonstandard families, or technology, partly because people have strong opinions and economic motives that may conflict with scientific findings and conclusions.
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Understanding How and Why The Nature–Nurture Controversy Including All Kinds of People Culture, Ethnicity, and Race opposing perspectives: Using the Word Race -
a case to study: Plasticity and David
Using the Scientific Method Studying Development over the Life Span Cautions and Challenges from Science Correlation and Causation a view from science: Vaccinationand Autism Science as a Way to Help Humankind
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At 6:11 A.M. I am holding my daughter’s bent right leg in place with all my strength. A nurse holds her left leg while the midwife commands, “Push … push … push.” Finally, a head is visible, small and wet, but perfect. In a moment, body and limbs emerge—all 4,139 grams of Caleb, perfect as well. Every number on the monitor is good, and my new grandson breathes and moves as a healthy newborn should. Bethany, smiling, begins to nurse.
This miracle makes celestial music ring in my ears. The ringing grows louder. Bethany shimmers, then the room grows dark. Suddenly, I am on the floor, looking up at six medical professionals: I have fainted.
“I am fine,” I insist, scrambling back onto the couch where I spent the night. Six people stare down at me.
“You need to go to triage,” one says.
“No, I am fine. Sorry I fainted.”
“We must send you to triage, in a wheelchair.”
What can I say to make them ignore me and focus on Bethany and Caleb?
“You can refuse treatment,” a nurse tells me.
Oh yes, thank you, the law now requires patient consent.
I am wheeled down to Admitting; I explain that I was with my laboring daughter all night with no food or sleep. I refuse treatment.
The admitting nurse takes my blood pressure—normal—and checks with her supervisor. She lets me return before the placenta is delivered.
Born Blissful One of us rests after an arduous journey, and the other rejoices after crying and fainting.
I am thankful, but puzzled. As a developmental scholar and author, I understand birth, numbers, jargon, monitors, body language, medical competence, hospital cleanliness, hall noises, and more. I do not panic. I knew that Bethany was strong and healthy, and every prenatal visit confirmed a healthy fetus. I was grateful, but not surprised, that all was well.
I told the triage nurse that I had not slept or eaten all night—true, but I had done that before, never fainting. Why this time?
This incident is a fitting introduction for Chapter 1, which begins to explain what we know, what we don’t know, and how we learn about human development. For me and other scientists, and also for you and everyone else, unexpected moments occur as each life is lived. Emotions mix with intellect, family bonds with professional competence, contexts with cultures, personal experiences with academic knowledge, generalities with exceptions.
Many details of Caleb’s arrival were unlike birth in other cultures and eras. Yet other aspects have always been part of the human experience. This chapter, and those that follow, will help you understand the specifics and the universals of development.