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Child development theories and practices are shaped by social context. Understanding controversies in pediatrics, like abortion and education, requires acknowledging underlying values and explicit social theories.
Area of Science:
- Social sciences
- Pediatrics
- Public health
Background:
- Child development theories and practices are significantly influenced by social context.
- Societal shifts, such as increased maternal employment, impact perceptions of child-rearing and social policy.
- Public education's role and value are debated, despite evidence of its positive impact on academic and behavioral outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To illustrate how social context influences theories and practices in child development.
- To analyze contemporary controversies in pediatrics through the lens of social context and values.
- To highlight the importance of explicit values in social theories guiding action.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of controversies in pediatrics related to abortion, maternal employment, and public education.
- Examination of how social context shapes the interpretation of data and justification of conclusions.
- Illustrative examples drawn from three key areas relevant to pediatric practice and policy.
Main Results:
- The abortion debate is linked to contemporary sexual behavior, contraceptive use, and family size preferences.
- Overemphasis on "bonding" in early infancy, based on weak evidence, can lead to flawed social policy for working mothers.
- Public education faces criticism despite data showing its positive influence on academic and behavioral development.
Conclusions:
- Social context is a critical determinant of both child development theories and practical approaches.
- Differing value commitments influence the selection of data and the formation of conclusions in social controversies.
- Social theories, while inherently value-laden, can guide effective action when their underlying values are clearly articulated.
Abstract:
Theories of child development, no less than the ways in which children develop, are influenced by social context. This thesis is illustrated by examples drawn three areas relevant to pediatrics. First, given the data demonstrating that fewer biologic and social hazards result from first trimester abortion that from carrying an unwanted pregnancy to term, the current controversy about abortion can only be understood in relation to concerns about contemporary patterns of sexual behavior, contraceptive use, and preferred family size. Second, now that the majority of mothers are employed in the work force, stress on the importance of "bonding" in early infancy, on the basis of dubious evidence, leads to unwarranted implications for social policy. Third, in contrast to the traditional American belief in public schools as instruments for the democratization of our society, public education is now being assailed as useless (and thus undeserving of funding) despite data indicating that schools make a difference to both academic and behavioral outcomes. In these controversies, differing value commitments lead to the choice of different data sets to justify a priori conclusions. Social theories are, by their very nature, value-laden but they can nonetheless be effective guides to action if those values are made explicit.