Answer:
These include physical, , emotional, social, economic and environmental factors. Knowledge of these factors is needed to be able to understand the affects they have on the physical, intellectual, emotional and social development, as well as an individual's self concept.
Explanation:
Factors Affecting Human Development
These are the following factors affecting human development:
Hereditary Factors
Environmental Factors
Home Environment
Cultural Factors
Socioeconomic Status
Normative Influences
Education and Training
Hereditary Factors
Heredity exerts an influence on human development. The child carries genetic endowments from his/her parents. It is genetically transmitted characteristics from one generation to the next. The physical characteristics like height, weight, eye colour etc and psychological characteristics such as intelligence, personality, creativity and so on are innately determined and hereditary. The genetic code provides the base on which brain and body grow and manifest in observable appearance and behaviour.
Environmental Factors
Another important factor of human development is the environment where an individual lives. The child lives and grows in his environment. The environment consists of a wide range of stimuli and it provides the necessary input and experiential base for the development of the child. Enrichment or impoverishment of the environment would produce differences in his abilities.
For example, a child may have inherited music talent from his parents through the transmission of genes, but he may not excel in the music field if he does not get the proper environment and support to develop his innate ability.
Home Environment
The home environment exerts tremendous influence on a child‟s understanding of the external world. It builds self-concept and prepares him to face the external world. The child begins to acquire knowledge through interaction with parents and other family members.
During his early years of development, the behaviours of the child are modulated by the home environment. The environment of the family can be supportive or stressful for the child. If it is a supportive, warm and harmonious environment, the child develops normally.
In unsupportive and stressful home environments, broken families or uncaring parents in the family, children may develop as maladjusted persons.
Cultural Factors
Culture refers to a system of beliefs, attitudes and values that are transmitted from one generation to the next. It is a product of past human behaviour and is also a shaper of future aspirations. The development of the child is influenced by family as well as by society.
The child learns the habits, beliefs, attitudes, skills and standards of judgment through the socialization processes. The socialization processes of the child take place according to the culture, customs and traditions of the society.
For example, greeting someone is a familiar experience but behavioural experiences are different in different cultures. In Indian culture, people greet others by saying namaskar, folding hands or lying down near the feet but in Western culture, people greet by handshake or kissing or saying hello etc.
Socioeconomic Status
Socioeconomic Status plays a pivotal role in human development. The index of socioeconomic status is determined by parental education, occupation and income. The children of low socioeconomic status may develop as mal-nourished, suffer from lack of knowledge in many aspects and their normal development may get hampered.
The parenting in high socioeconomic status families would be different from low socio-economic status families. Children of the high socioeconomic groups of the society get better social opportunities, are nurtured with better nutrition, good medical treatment and are exposed to more intellectual stimulation than the low socioeconomic groups.
