The Cultural Nature of Human Development and Learning

Catalog description

This course provides an overview of child development from conception to age eight. The course considers the physical, cognitive/language, and social and emotional aspects of development and the dynamic interrelatedness of these developmental domains. Central to the course is an understanding of child development competencies, albeit driven by neurobiological factors, is also mediated by the values and childrearing practices prevalent in different cultural communities and families. The course critically examines how social hegemonies may privilege the developmental competencies of certain groups over others and how this potentially affects children’s development and learning in informal and formal educational settings.