Course Description
Theoretical and historical perspectives used in the study of human development across the lifespan.
Athena Title
THEORIES OF HUM DEV
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in CHFD 6100
Prerequisite
Permission of department
Pre or Corequisite
HDFS 6110
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
We will ask several questions during this course. 1) Why are we the way we are? 2) How do we differ from each other? 3) What determines the particular content of our lives? It is unlikely that we will find a definitive answer to any of the questions. We will, however, explore a range of developmental theories that address these questions. This course is designed to provide a broad but rigorous graduate level understanding of the nature and construction of theories. The goals are to determine which theoretical issues are critical in developmental psychology and to critically evaluate the nature, quality and implications of theories, which are available to the developmentalist. We will attempt to ground these theories and recognize their applications and implications for research and practice.
Topical Outline
1. The Nature of Theory 2. Pepper's Metaphorical World View Perspective 3. Mechanistic Perspective 4. Organismic Theory 5. Psychobiological 6. Piaget and Neo-Piagetian Theory 7. Psychodynamic Theories 8. Contextualist Theories 9. Cross-Cultural Theories of Development 10. Gender Roles 11. Vygotsky 12. Moral Development 13. The Development of the Person
Syllabus