The Cultural Nature Of Human Development

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Jordan Jarvis June 22, 2011 Dr. Robert Cohen Psychology 3103 The Cultural Nature of Human Development Barbara Rogoff attempts to create an understanding of how culture plays a significant role in human development. To grow and develop in any nation in the world, children are taught about the immediate world around them, such as language, heritage, traditional customs, and proper ways to behave and react to adults and situations according to their family structures. One cannot grow up without being a part of a certain culture. To fully understand the role of culture in human development, the definition of culture and its importance to a nation are vital. Rogoff’s definition of culture is not a simple one. She begins by defining culture as the language and heritage taught to children in a community. She then goes on to explain that a community’s way of doing things and handling certain situations also contributes to the definition of culture. Rogoff repeatedly explains the importance of adaptation in culture, or how the culture of the youth in a certain community has evolved relative to how it was when the adults were growing up. Culture, like ways of doing things and certain customs and traditions, in a community is constantly changing, therefore understanding and change are a necessity in any nation. It is difficult to explain human development without mentioning culture because how things are done in a community have a great amount of impact on how a child grows up and what the child learns about. This is Rogoff’s main point in relating culture and human development. Without one, the other is almost impossible. Everyone in the world has a culture or heritage. Everyone grows up in a certain community or nation, and the environment around them plays a huge role on their view of the world and how they live their lives. Human development and growth depend

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