Life Span Development

Life Span Development Paper

September 10, 2009

PSCHY/500

      Development is defined as "the pattern of movement or change that begins at conception and continues throughout the human life span (Santrock, 6.)"The application of sociocultural influences to the field of life-span development highlights the aspects of socioeconmic status, culture, and diversity and more completely outlines the social process of development. Looking at these issues helps us to better understand the social world outside of family and peer relationships that influence development.
One major aspect, socioeconomic status, contributes to this understanding by showing how development through life is affected by access to social, psychological, and economic resources. Socioeconmic status (SES) refers to a grouping of people with similar occupational, educational, and economic characteristics. Low SES is described as low-income, blue collar, working class and middle SES is described as white collar, middle class, managerial. Children whose parents have low SES live in bad neighborhoods and attend schools with other low SES children. Children’s whose parents have high SES live in nice neighborhoods and attend schools with children with high SES backgrounds. Studies show that children's adjustment can be influenced by variation in neighborhood settings. For example, children who in live in homes with teenage mothers are more than likely not to have a father figure present in the home this truly put children at a disadvantage of poverty such as having only one income, or no income except from the government. The home is located a rural area where gangs hang out on the street corner at all times of the night. Children growing up in poverty are more likely to be depression, angry, and sad than those who are not face with poverty.
The psychological ramification of poverty reinforces the role that sociocultural influences play in development. The poor have little or no power and at work... [continues]

Read full essay