This article argues that the grand theories of child development of the twentieth century are no longer adequate for understanding young children and their development and learning. A cultural perspective on development is presented, with a brief hist...
This article argues that the grand theories of child development of the twentieth century are no longer adequate for understanding young children and their development and learning. A cultural perspective on development is presented, with a brief history and a discussion of culture and its defining characteristics. The authors then explore some implications that a cultural psychology provides for research and practice in early childhood education. Three areas receive attention: cross-cultural studies; the relationship between folk psychology and folk pedagogy on the one hand and early childhood curriculum and teacher education on the other; and dialogue between Western and non-Western scholars.