Human Development

Catalog description

This course explores the characteristics of developmental change over time - from infancy through late adulthood - and the processes or mechanisms underlying these changes. Students will gain an understanding of the fundamental theories and research traditions of the field, how variations in context influence development, and how theory and research can be applied to real world issues. Using a cultural ecological framework, we will examine theoretical approaches to the study of human development emphasizing the importance of contextual factors (e.g., race, ethnicity, culture, gender, socioeconomic status, historical moment, etc.) and individual perceptions in understanding growth and change. Students will be encouraged to explore developmental change and growth as they occur across different developmental periods of life and within a wide variety of settings and cultural contexts in order to help them begin to crystallize their own world-views and conceptual frameworks of human development. Throughout the semester we will search for new ideas, challenge old ones, and wrestle with paradoxical issues. Prerequisite: Enrollment in Executive Program in School and Mental Health Counseling.