Includes bibliographical references and index

Theoretical Perspectives in Developmental Psychology - 2. Evolution and Human Development - 3. Prenatal Developmet, Birth, and the Newborn (Conception to 6 weeks of age of age) - 4. Infancy: A Practical Understanding of the World (6 weeks-12 months) - 5. Infancy: Towards Biological Differentiation (6 weeks-12- months) - 6. Toddlerhood: A World of Irressistible Invitations (1 year-30 months) - 7. Toddlerhood: Towards Psychological Differetiation ( 1 year-30 months) - 8. Early Childhood: Captured by Appearances (3-6 years) - 9. Early Childhood: Origins of Verbal Thought (3-6 years) - 10. Middle Childhood: In Work and School (6-12 years) - 11. Middle Childhood: Understanding Intitutional Roles (6-12 years) - 12. The Teenage Years: Adolescent or Adult? (12 years and up) - 13. The Teenage Years: Differentiation between antual and Possible (12 years and up)

Every child is born into a community, a society with a culture, in which he or she will live, grow and develop. Cultures lead to differences in children's development, but equally important, culture is an essential component of every childs psychological development. Child Development takes a chronological approach, from prenatal development to adolescence, in which social, cognitive, emotional and physical aspects of development are interwoven. Martin Packer integrates cross-cultural examples from different parts of the world to illustrate how culture plays a constitutive role in children's development. This book includes an in-depth discussion of human evolution, the history of language and the human lifespan, as well as the theoretical perspectives of scientific research on children's development. This textbook is essential reading for undergraduate students taking an introductory course in child development or developmental psychology