Familial, social and cultural contexts for child development

Abstract

Children do not grow up in isolation. Their development and learning reflect the complex interplay between their inbuilt tendencies and their engagement with the world. In order to provide nuturing and responsive care-giving environments, early childhood practitioners require a sound understanding of the dynamic ways children's contexts influence their development (NICHD, 2000). In this chapter, we aim to 'set the scene' in which child development occurs by placing the child within familial, community, sociopolitical and historical contexts