Human Development and Culture

1. Human Development and Culture Valentina Fantasia, PhD Lesson 2

2. Culture

3. Conceptions of Culture • Tylor (1874): “complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society” Culture as something out there - in the environment

4. Goodenough (1976): “culture is what one needs to know to participate acceptably as a member in a society’s affairs” Culture as something in-here: Culture- as- knowledge  the mental or symbolic products of the social heritage

5. Moving beyond … Shweder (2006): culture as both a symbolic and a behavioural inheritance: “The symbolic inheritance of a cultural community consists of its received ideas and understandings about persons, society, nature, and the metaphysical realm of the divine. The behavioural inheritance of a cultural community consists of its routine or istituzionalised family life, social, economics and political practices”

6. System of implicit and explicit ideas that underlies and gives meaning to behavioursand events in society (Ochs, 1973) • Species-specific medium for the acquisition and sharing of symbolic meanings and practices (Cole and Packer, 2011) • environment transformed by artifacts of prior generations extending back to the beginning of the species (Cole & Hatano, 2007)

7. Properties of Culture-as-medium • Grounded in artifact-mediated activities • Co-evolution with the human brain and body • Unique time-extension • Dual nature of artifacts, as material but also organisational

8. The role of culture in development Cultura Enculturation Socialisation

9. The role of culture in development • Cultura: “cultivation”, “growing” in Latin • Enculturation: transmission of cultural knowledge (Mead, 1963) • Socialisation: transmission of procedures (knowing how) and premises (knowing that)(Cicourel, 1973)

10. The role of culture in development • Cultura: “cultivation”, “growing” in Latin • Enculturation: transmission of cultural knowledge (Mead, 1963) • Socialisation: transmission of procedures (knowing how) and premises (knowing that)(Cicourel, 1973) Becoming a competent member of the community

11. Classical theories of development and culture • Endogenous (focus on phylogenesis): Environment determines the occasion, the intensity and the correlation of many aspects of behaviour, but it does not impact on the basic progression of development. This is determined by inherent, maturational mechanisms (Gesell, 1940) INNATE BIOLOGICAL/PHYLOGENETICAL CONSTRAINS ON DEVELOPMENT

12. Exogenous (focus on environment) “Operant conditioning shapes behaviour as a sculptor shapes a lump of clay” (Skinner, 1953) Environment, both cultural and natural, provides the major influence on developmental changes ENVIRONMENT SHAPES DEVELOPMENT, NOT GENES

13. Phylogenetic + enviroment “The human being is immersed right from birth in a social environment which affects him just as much as his physical environment” (Piaget, 1973) Crucial role of active organisms which construct their own development through attempts to adapt to the environment (assimilation and accommodation) EQUAL WEIGHT OF BIOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT FACTORS IN DEVELOPMENT

14. Culture as constitutive of development • Cultural mediation approach “Biology and sociologyoccur in the medium of culture – that is, biology and social experience are mediated through culture” (Cole & Hatano, 2007) Human development as emergent process of bio-social-cultural change

15. Development as participation in cultural practices Children develop as participants in social activities carried out within cultural communities (families, schools, playgroups) Can you give me one example of a social activity?

16. Intrapersonal psychological processes contributes to the building up of local interactions with caregivers Enriching and making sense of activities and practices of daily routines

17. Activities and practices of daily routines as locus for cultural transmission Development emerges through and contribute to the building up of cultural practices

18. Activities and practices of daily routines as locus for cultural transmission Development emerges through and contribute to the building up of cultural practices • Activities and practices of daily routines are the place where culture is transmitted to young members (Weisner, 1996)

19. Understanding the context of development Individuals’ behaviour and skills are tied to specific activities, culturally determined Developmental milestonestied to experience and opportunities (affordances)

20. Understanding the context of development Individuals’ behaviour and skills are tied to specific activities, culturally determined Developmental milestones (e.g. sleeping, walking)

21. Understanding the context of development Individuals’ behaviour and skills are tied to specific activities (culturally determined) Developmental milestones (e.g. sleeping, walking) • Biological foundations • Are functions of the context in which they develop

22. Guiding development • Role of the community in facilitating the experience and acquisition of practices and knowledge • Vygotsky (xx): Zone of proximal development • Bruner (XX): Scaffolding function

23. Vigotsky: ZDP Zone of proximal development (ZDP) • Differencebetweenwhat a learner can do without help, and whatshe or he cannot do • Whata learner can do by himself (expert stage) and what can be achieved with the support of a knowledgeablepeer or instructor (pedagogical stage)

25. Bruner, Scaffolding (1976) • Childrenneedhelp from teachers and otheradults in the form of activesupportin learning • Help in terms of a scaffoldingmetaphor – asconstructing a building • Astheybecome more independent in theirthinkingand acquire new skills and knowledgethe support can be graduallyfaded.

26. To sum up CULTURE

27. In the next lecture: Development • Not linear – no single developmental trajectories • Development DOES NOT proceeds towards a unique desirable endpoint of maturity • Development as transformation of participation in cultural activities