Fundamentals Of Human Development
Rebbeca Schulke
These ideas helped pave the way for the human development approach, which is about expanding the richness of human life, rather than simply the richness of the economy in which human beings live. It is an approach that is focused on creating fair opportunities and choices for all people. So how do these ideas come together in the human development approach?
Careers in human development
The program is designed for those interested in leadership positions in the human development field, such as center director, program coordinator, director of services, case manager or project manager.
Applications are processed through the University of Maine Graduate School on a rolling basis for fall admission. It is recommended that you complete your application by June for the fall start date. However, applicants wishing to be considered for nomination for assistantships and fellowships should have a completed application on file by Jan. 15. A limited number of graduate assistantships are available on a competitive basis each year.
Sandra L. Caron, Ph.D., Professor of Family Relations & Human Sexuality
Julie DellaMattera, Ed.D., Associate Professor of Early Childhood Development and Education
Renate Klein, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies
Daniel Puhlman, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Family Studies
Click on the link below to access the program of study form for the Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Human Development. This document is meant to serve as an example of how students can progress through the curriculum in two years.
We define social and emotional learning (SEL) as an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.
SEL advances educational equity and excellence through authentic school-family-community partnerships to establish learning environments and experiences that feature trusting and collaborative relationships, rigorous and meaningful curriculum and instruction, and ongoing evaluation. SEL can help address various forms of inequity and empower young people and adults to co-create thriving schools and contribute to safe, healthy, and just communities.
SEL makes a difference. We know this from the research, which demonstrates that an education that promotes SEL has a positive impact on a wide range of outcomes, including academic performance, healthy relationships, mental wellness, and more.
We are driven by a vision of all children and adults as self-aware, caring, responsible, engaged, and lifelong learners who work together to achieve their goals. SEL can be a powerful lever for creating caring, just, inclusive, and healthy schools that support all young people.
The majority of students, teachers, and families agree: SEL belongs in schools. But when it is co-opted by political agendas, students risk losing out on an education that will help them succeed in school and in life. Now is the time for brave thinkers and tireless doers to champion SEL.
SEL offers a powerful means to support one another during these challenging times by developing crucial competencies relating to empathy, resilience, and relationship-building that students and adults need.
The human development and family studies minor offers students a collection of courses examining the fundamentals of human development through courses exploring family dynamics and relationships. Students pursuing human development and family studies may choose from a variety of HDFS courses based on their major, interest and focus. In doing so, they gain knowledge and experience in the science of human growth and development, human interaction and family relationships. Graduates work in careers that promote healthy development and positive family functioning across the lifespan, such as: social services case worker, provider at residential treatment center, youth organization worker, program director for youth, family or senior citizen center.
Undecided or still deciding on a major and future career?If you are uncertain about your major and have questions about career planning, you are not alone. Choosing a major or career can be a very difficult decision. The exploratory studies program may be a good fit if you are unsure of your major and career focus. Entering the university in the exploratory studies program will help you gain confidence and valuable insights on majors and minors available at SDSU and future career choices.
In addition, FOCUS 2 Career, a self-guided assessment, education and career planning program, will help you reflect on your values, interests, personality traits and skills to provide valuable insight as you explore major and career choices. SDSU students may access FOCUS 2 Career by using their student email and password. After completing FOCUS 2 Career, you may find it helpful to discuss your results with a career coach in the Office of Career Development.
The AAS degree program in Human Development and Family Studies is based on the individual and family perspective, an interdisciplinary field that integrates several behavioral, social, and biological concepts to understand human interaction and development. Program graduates work in social service agencies, retirement communities, and other geriatric facilities, non-profit and education centers.
Are you interested in learning about human development, and studying the nature of relationships and the role of families? If so, a pathway in Human Development and Family Studies might be right for you. The AAS in Human Development and Family Studies can lead to employment as a Human Services Assistant or Family Specialist in social service agencies, Head Start daycares, community-based organizations and non-profits, among others.
This is an example course sequence for students interested in pursuing Human Development and Family Studies. This does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If this pathway is followed as outlined, you will earn a Basic Certificate (BC), an Advanced Certificate (AC), and an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree In Human Development and Family Studies. One course will satisfy the Human Diversity (HD) requirement, and is labeled with an (HD) in the sequence below.
This program can prepare students for the jobs listed below. Click on each one to learn more, including average earnings, annual job openings, and how much education people in that field have. For additional guidance and resources on career options, current City Colleges students and alumni can contact the Career Services Office.
Assist other social and human service providers in providing client services in a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, or social work, including support for families. May assist clients in identifying and obtaining available benefits and social and community services. May assist social workers with developing, organizing, and conducting programs to prevent and resolve problems relevant to substance abuse, human relationships, rehabilitation, or dependent care.
Plan, direct, or coordinate the activities of a social service program or community outreach organization. Oversee the program or organization's budget and policies regarding participant involvement, program requirements, and benefits. Work may involve directing social workers, counselors, or probation officers.
Social justice refers to promoting fairness, equality, equity, and rights across multiple aspects of society, including economic, educational, and workforce opportunities. A number of scholars across academia have called for a greater incorporation of social and racial justice approaches to the field of human development and have asserted that social justice constitutes both a theoretical framework as well as a set of hypotheses to investigate and understand the human condition. The emergence, experience, and awareness of social injustice needs to be better understood from a psychological and developmental perspective. Four areas that reflect theoretical changes in human development research are featured in this issue: (a) socialization theories about race; (b) ethnic/racial identity and development; (c) developmental social identity and moral reasoning; and (d) lay theories and social essentialism. Childhood is a period of intense change and development. Human development research is uniquely positioned to promote change that will contribute to challenging social and racial injustice.
Social justice is closely tied to human rights and refers to promoting fairness, equality, and equity across multiple aspects of society, including economic, educational, and workforce opportunities (Bonilla-Silva, 1997; Jost & Kay, 2010; Kendi, 2016; Petersen et al., 2016; Ruck et al., 2014; Turiel et al., 2016). Ethical and political philosophers (along with legal scholars) often consider social justice to be more difficult to precisely define compared to other moral concepts (Anderson, 1999; Appiah, 2005; Fourie et al., 2015; Jost & Kay, 2010; Rawls, 1971). This is due to the difficulty of ensuring that the obligatory core principles of respecting human dignity are identified and executed. What principles provide the most fair and equitable outcome? From many perspectives, social justice is associated with political movements that strongly advocate for expanding access to social and economic opportunities.
A number of scholars across academia have called for a greater focus on social justice, and specifically racial justice as a fundamental aspect of research on human development. Further, it has been asserted that social and racial justice constitutes both a theoretical framework as well as a set of hypotheses to investigate and understand the human condition (Anderson, 1999; Kendi, 2016; Killen & Dahl, 2021; Turiel et al., 2016). In order to identify the core principles necessary for ensuring human dignity, the emergence, experience, and awareness of social inequalities and injustice has to be explicitly acknowledged. This is particularly important for those working within a psychological perspective, given the gross inaccuracies in how racial, ethnic, and gender data have been collected, interpreted, and understood in psychology and the social sciences. As will be discussed below, these inequalities include sample selection, inaccuracies regarding techniques for measuring psychological capacities such as cognitive, moral, emotional, and biological competencies as well as politically motivated analyses and interpretations of data. By politically motivated interpretations, we refer to instances in which findings about human capacities are generated and interpreted to promote power hierarchies, maintain the status quo, and assert limits on social mobility.
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