Development Theory
There are many varying theorie
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There are many varying theories of human development. But, essentially, these theories agree that childrenÆs development can often be predicted according to the relative health of their family and environmental influences. Moreover, a strong family system can often help overcome negative environmental influences. In addition, family and environmental influences will often impact a childÆs performance in school, including academic performance as well as class behavior and peer relationships. This paper applies several theories of child and adolescent development to the particular experiences of an African American male who grew up in a two-parent household in a single family home in an inner-city neighborhood.In this case, the childÆs caregivers were his birth parents and his grandmother, all of whom lived in the home along with his 7 brothers and 1 sister. Both parents worked, but their economic circumstances were limited. Nonetheless, the parents worked to buy a five-bedroom single-family home in a neighborhood of similar homes. The neighborhood was predominantly African-American and was located within a larger inner-city area that was characterized by a high crime rate. Thus, the family system within the home would play a large part in the childÆs development, particularly the extent to which the child felt secure from the criminal elements that plagued the larger neighborhood. The attachment theory of human development focuses on the protecti
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ffect of outside systems and conditions on family systems and child development (Lynch, 2002, p. 519). In particular, including such theories allow sociologists and educators to consider how a childÆs community influences his or her family system by either creating stress or providing support for family functioning. For example, the availability of social services and employment opportunities as well as the socioeconomic climate, including community violence, can impact family functioning through the stress they create or the support they provide (Lynch, 2002, p. 519). Thus, an ecocultural perspective takes into account ecological and institutional forces that affect and control a familyÆs activities, for example, the incidence of community violence in the childÆs home area (Weisner, 2002, p. 245).
Community violence affects individual and family functioning in several ways. Specifically, a child who grows up in a community in which violence is a regular occurrence can become traumatized by such violence. Such trauma can manifest itself in an inability to form trusting and secure relationships or to control oneÆs emotions (Lynch, 2002, p. 519). It may also contribute to family instability and disorganization. Moreover, chi
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Approximate Word count = 1609
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)
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