Official Course Description: MCCCD Approval: 06/17/03
EED276 20036-99999	LEC	3 Credit(s)	3 Period(s)
Global Child Development
Exploration of the ways that biology and cultures influence the well-being and development of children around the world. Considers traditional and scientific views of the child, as well as threats to the well-being of the young in the contemporary world. Prerequisites: None.

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MCCCD Official Course Competencies:
EED276   20036-99999	Global Child Development

1.	Identify the biological and the cultural dimensions of becoming a member of a human group. (I)
2.	Use anthropological terminology to describe the cultural diversity of childhood. (I, II)
3.	Contrast traditional and scientific views of childhood. (II)
4.	Explain the challenges inherent in cross-cultural research on the development of children. (II)
5.	Discuss the impact of economic resources upon the survival and development of children within human societies. (III)
6.	Identify the consequences of cultural stability and cultural change on the development of children. (IV)
7.	Discuss the typical consequences of political instability on the daily lives of children and their long-term impact on child development. (IV)
8.	Describe the universality of developmental tasks and stages around the globe at this point in history. (V)
9.	Compare specific cultural values that influence child rearing practices and goals, in particular within societies with increasing diversity in their populations. (VI)

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MCCCD Official Course Outline:
EED276   20036-99999	Global Child Development

I. Biology and Culture A. Shared biological dimensions of human immaturity 1. Prolonged helplessness 2. Meeting essential needs over time 3. Sustained and extended interactions 4. Resources to ensure survival 5. Brain size and developmental implications B. Diverse cultural dimensions of human society 1. Committed and enculturated caregivers 2. Child rearing customs to ensure humanity 3. Rites of passage within cultures 4. Gender roles related to child-rearing 5. Extended family and child-rearing II. Traditional and Scientific Views of the Child A. Traditional views of childhood 1. Holders of traditional wisdom 2. Influence on daily child rearing and socialization 3. Caregiver roles and responsibilities 4. Extended family roles and responsibilities B. Scientific study of children 1. The child as worthy of scientific study 2. Western theories of development a. Personality b. Cognition and learning c. Moral reasoning d. Others 3. Dissemination of research findings 4. Influence on daily child rearing C. Generational connections with past and future 1. Traditional cultures 2. Modern cultures 3. "Postmodern" considerations D. Cross-cultural research 1. Challenges from within and from outside the culture 2. Ethical considerations from culture to culture 3. Dangers of stereotyping and within-group variation III. Economics and Child Development A. Worth and meaning of the child 1. The individual child a. Gender b. Impairment and health c. Birth order d. Appearance and resemblance e. Spiritual/religious worth f. "Ownership" of the child g. Infanticide 2. The child in the family, community, tribe, nation a. Family size b. Spiritual/religious worth c. Class, caste, status of family d. Responsibilities of children e. Child labor in local economies f. Justice systems and the child g. Sexual exploitation of children h. Stages and expectations before adulthood B. Public investment in children 1. Ensuring survival a. Public health and safety b. Nutrition c. Immunizations d. Homelessness 2. Preparation for the future a. Life skills acquisition b. Schooling c. Religious training C. Affluence, poverty and the material world 1. Urban and rural resources 2. Family class, caste and status IV. Political and Cultural Stability and Instability A. Meeting essential needs 1. Nutrition 2. Physical safety 3. Mental health 4. Physical health B. Diversity within communities and nations 1. Ethnic diversity 2. Religious diversity 3. Class, caste and economic diversity 4. Governments C. Separations and disruptions 1. Divorce and family disintegration 2. Community violence and loss 3. Trauma, witnessed and experienced 4. War and terrorism 1. Child soldiers, conscription 2. Loss of family members and connections 5. Migrations and invasions 6. Disruption of schooling 7. Adoption and orphans 8. Pandemics D. International "Rights of the Child" V. Developmental Tasks and Stages around the Globe A. Before birth 1. Prenatal diagnostic testing 2. Beliefs about prenatal existence B. Childbirth variations C. Infancy 1. Attachments and relationships 2. Motor skills and adult interventions 3. Temperaments and "goodness of fit" D. Early Childhood 1. Language acquisition 2. Play and freedom 3. Daily care contexts 4. Peer relationships and friendships E. Middle Childhood 1. Competence in life skills 2. Schooling and schools 3. Bullying and violence 4. Media and technology 5. Sports F. Adolescence 1. Identity achievement 2. Puberty and sexual activity 3. Body image and media influences 4. Risk-taking behaviors 5. International youth culture G. Adulthood 1. Rites of passage into adulthood 2. Parenthood VI. Cultural and Multicultural Values Influencing Child Rearing A. Collectivist and individualist societies B. Materialistic and spiritualistic worldviews C. Cultural tolerance for diversity D. Immigration and refugee families 1. Preservation of cultural identity 2. Preservation of home languages 3. Second generation children E. Discipline, guidance and punishment F. "Ownership" of children, "child as chattel"

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