Category: Human Development

The human development index is a statistic tool used by scientists from different disciplines to describe a given populations quality of life. It mainly concentrates on various demographic characteristics although much emphasis is given to education, life expectancy, and income (Cleveland & Douglas, 2013).

The Human Development Index (HDI) is used internationally to rank countries into four categories based on the above-mentioned aspects. It is important to note that the origin and development of the human development index is closely linked to the United Nations, to be more precise, to the United Nations Development Programs annual development reports (Cleveland & Douglas, 2013).

History of the human development Index

As mentioned earlier, the Human Development Index traces its origin to the United Nations Development Program reports. Mahbub ul Haq, a Pakistani economist is credited as the main architect behind the development of the HDI (Stanton, 2007, p. 1). Mahbub together with other economists sought to shift human development indices from national income to a more people-oriented approach that captured the real situation as far as human development is concerned (Cleveland & Douglas, 2013).

Apparently, the national income approach grossly underestimated or overestimated the quality of life that people within a given region led. Thus, the need for a more accurate method to indicate the quality of human life gave rise to the Human Development Index in 1990.

Dimensions of the Human Development Index

In a nutshell, the Human Development Index measures the quality of life of a given group of people, mainly in countries or regions with recognized political autonomy.

Precisely, the HDI seeks to investigate and establish the quality of life which is measured through the life expectancy rate (UNDP, 2013). Life expectancy at birth is the number of years a person is expected to live in a particular country with special consideration given to the quality of life. It also takes into account the mortality rate of the people concerned.

Besides life expectancy, another important aspect of HDI is the education index that seeks to measure the quality of education available to people in a particular country. This dimension takes into account the years of schooling and the expected number of years that the inhabitants are expected to have access to education (UNDP, 2013). The education index is shaped by such factors as access to basic primary school education by all demographic groups which crucially determines literacy levels.

HDI also measures the gross national income per capita that is mainly done in USD. Per capita income which sometimes can be given in purchasing power parity figures is the income per person in a given territory (UNDP, 2013). It usually indicates the production potential and contribution to the GDP of every individual in a given economy. Many times economists use per capita income as an indicator of a countrys standard of living.

Calculation of HDI

Calculation of HDI has slightly changed over the years especially due to the dynamics of human life and economic development. The old calculation method that was used in the UNDP reports up to the year 2011 used three indices, i.e. life expectancy, knowledge and education and standard of living (UNHDR, 2004). In the new method of calculation however, HDI is calculated using the three indices with minor changes.

In the new method, the life expectancy index remains the same while the education index does not give a lot of weight to knowledge. It is important however to note that knowledge is considered to be crucial in the new method as indicated by ones level of education. In the standard of living index, the new method notably uses gross national income instead of gross domestic product (Cleveland & Douglas, 2013).

HDI and Per Capita

It is important to note that HDI and GDP are two different terms with different meanings although they come in handy when describing human development in any setting.

GDP is used to describe the total sum of all economic activities in a country. GDP indicates the economic wellbeing of a nation (UNDP, 2013). Essentially, any effect on GDP has a ripple effect on the entire economy and can easily affect the HDI.

Given its nature, HDI is more or less an all round measuring indicator that considers many aspects including GDP to describe human development levels (UNDP, 2013).

Weaknesses of HDI

The human development index is widely used in gauging the level of development of a population. However, it does not mean that the method is perfect and has no flaws. For instance, HDI does not take into account other important factors such as gender equality and development (Cleveland & Douglas, 2013).

Additionally, HDI relies entirely on statistics that are supplied by different national bureaus. Given the long chain that this data follows, it is likely that some of the statistics that UNDP uses to calculate HDI are not accurate, hence resulting into an unrealistic picture.

References

Cleveland, C & Douglas, G. (2013). Human Development Index. Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). Web.

United Nations Development Program, (2013). Human Development Index (HDI). UNDP. Web.

UN Human Development Report, (2004). Human Development Index  Countries with low human development. UN. Web.

Purpose

This lab report focuses on the effects of technology on the ecosystem. The experiment aims to address the impact of human development on the sustainability of groundwater.

Introduction

Human advancement and migration stimulates the accumulation of waste deposits and landfills. This aggregation of waste to the landfill is a threat to groundwater and the environment (Mitra, 2015). However, with the continual human development, such as irrigation and agricultural practices, groundwater depletion has become a growing concern (Velis, Conti, & Biermann, 2017). Consequently, an increase in the human population puts pressure on freshwater by increasing land use for agriculture. These practices, if not addressed, would affect groundwater sustainability.

Hypothesis/Predicted Outcome

Based on the above assumption, groundwater depletion and contamination are possible if activities of human development are not regulated.

Method

The lab examined the human impact on groundwater sustainability. Data was examined from different periods to ascertain the progression of human industrialization and development. The researchers evaluated data from three periods, which include the 1800s, 1900s, and 2000s.

Results/Outcome

The study examined three periods from 1800 to 2000. In 1800, the impact of human activities on the environment was small, with limited housing. As a result, there were large forests, lots of groundwater, no salt-water intrusion, small farm settlements, and few human activities. By the 20th century, the human population increased geometrically. The need for groundwater for irrigation farming and drinking stimulates salt-water intrusion and contamination. As a result, the rate of freshwater depletion is higher than it was in the eighteenth century.

Discussion/Analysis

The analysis showed that ecosystem depletion is an ongoing activity. The rate of urbanization, agricultural development, and food scarcity drive the volume of water utilization. Such activities affect freshwater production and the environment. Thus, the result confirms my hypothesis on the need to reduce human activity and development. There is a need to diversify human activities to enforce practices that would help replenish the environment. Efforts must be geared to increase the rate of transpiration and percolation. This strategy would create the needed activity to stimulate groundwater recharge.

References

Mitra, S. (2015). Groundwater sustainability: A brief review. International Journal of Ecosystem, 5(3), 43-46. Web.

Velis, M., Conti, K., & Biermann, F. (2017). Groundwater and human development: Synergies and trade-offs within the context of the sustainable development goals. Sustainability Science, 12(6), 1007-1017.

Introduction

A tutor or instructor comprehend easily the way children study and develop since the children spend most of their time with the teachers. Therefore, the teacher can offer a good learning environment, which would assist the childrens personal, cognitive, intellectual and social growth and development. In addition, students learn more through viewing things in physical, thus, this is a good environment for the students to improve their intellectual abilities. Therefore, in this case the paper will discuss how the students will develop a deeper understanding of interdependence within ecosystem by examining on saltwater marsh using jigsaw strategy of instruction.

Jigsaw steps

The steps of jigsaw include;

• The teacher creating groups and giving an assignment on the following topic; salt marshes
• Each learner should get a sub-topic on the salt marshes.
• The students should proceed to the library and research for the relevant materials concerning their sub-topics.
• The learners should then leave their original groups and combine with an expert group where they are supposed to discuss about different issues about salt marshes like animals and plants such as cordgrass which thrive in such an environment (Grades Perk, 2005, par. 3).
• After the discussion, the members go back to their groups to teach their members about what they understood on salt marshes.

Description

When using Jigsaw as a model of cooperative learning, the teacher should create a home group of four to five students and allocate them a certain topic which the tutor could have handled in the class. Secondly, in the assigned topic, the teacher should create some sub-topics and ensure that every home group has a particular sub-topic. After assigning the students the sub-topics, they should proceed to the resource center where they can read more on the topic. Later, they should depart from their groups and meet with an expert group where they can fully brainstorm and discuss on what they understand concerning the topic.

After they are through with the discussion, the students should resume to their home groups and teach them what they know about salt marshes. Finally, the group is supposed to prepare some presentations.

Rationale

The rationale behind jigsaw as a cooperative learning model is that, when the teacher creates a topic like sea marshes, the topic is not biased as it could be if it was created by the students. In addition, when the teacher prepares several diverse subtopics which are related to the assignment of salt marshes, every group will be in a position to cover the same topic but different sub-topics (Weiner, n.d, par. 2).

It is very significant for the student to go to the resource center in order to gather relevant and deep information about salt marshes. When the students meet with expert groups, it will assist them in discussing and understanding the topic in a better way than if they could have read it by themselves. After the discussions, it is important for the students to go back to their home groups and discuss or teach their members what they learnt and understood about salt marshes. Therefore, Jigsaw model of cooperative learning is essential since it allows the learners of a group to handle a specific area of a course and understand it better than if they could have read it on their own (Bennett, Rolheiser & Stevahn, 1991, par.7).

When the teacher uses jigsaw as a strategy of giving instructions to the students, the learners will be introduced to the topic appropriately. In addition, they will be in a position to sustain a high degree of personal roles. By using jigsaw, the learners will establish group work and cooperative or supportive learning skills amongst themselves. Moreover, the strategy will assist the student to gain a great depth of knowledge and skills which they could not have if they studied the materials individually.

Individual assessment

In order for the teacher to understand the progress of a student performance evaluation is very significant whether it is individual or group performance. This is because performance assessment is an essential issue that concerns personnel management since it motivates career growth and development of the institution. By the use of the jigsaw method of learning, the teacher is in a position to carry out individual assessment.

This is because at the end of the task, each student is required to return back to her or his home group and present or give a presentation about the salt marshes. Therefore, the jigsaw strategy will clearly show the learners own comprehension concerning the concept of salt marshes. In addition, the strategy will disclose any misinterpretation about salt marshes which the student had (Aronson, Blaney, Stephin, Sikes & Snapp, 1978, par. 3).

Group assessment

Similarly, since each home team is expected to prepare some presentations concerning salt marshes, the teacher can go through the presentations and assess the group performance by looking at the quality of the presentations the group has. In addition, the teacher could incorporate the entire class in assessing the content which they anticipate in order for them to grasp the evaluation. By using the jigsaw model of cooperative learning, the teacher can prepare study guides, which contain all the concepts that each topic should handle, the manner in which the student or group should organize their work.

Through the study guides, the teacher can be able to assess individual and group performance. In addition, the tutor should evaluate the level of mastery of the student regarding all the materials. Learners can also assess themselves on the way their team performed in the jigsaw by encouraging one another, dynamic listening and looking at one another for comprehension and creating objectives for further discussions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, jigsaw strategy of instruction is important since it is offers the students a chance to train themselves rather than having materials given to them. Moreover, jigsaw allows each learner to have exercise in self-teaching hence, making the learner to become competent in using geological terminologies. Jigsaw also offers an opportunity for the learner to participate effectively in a discussion and as a result he or she understands the topic better rather than if one had studied the materials on his or her own.

Reference List

Aronson, E., Blaney, N., Stephin, C., Sikes, J. & Snapp, M. (1978). The Jigsaw Classroom. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publishing Company.

Bennett, B., Rolheiser, C. & Stevahn, L. (1991) Cooperative Learning: Where Heart Meets Mind. Educational Connections, Ontario.

Coppit, D., (n.d). An Objective Approach for Evaluating Individual Performance in Group Projects. Web.

Grades Perk, (2005). Teachers Information, Pre-trip and Post-trip Activities. Web.

Wenner, E., (n.d). Dynamics of the Salt Marsh. Marine Resources Research Institute. Web.

Introduction

At present, people are surrounded by diverse technologies. Besides, these technologies tend to develop fast. What is more, it has been claimed that the unhindered growth of technology is essential to the continued advancement of the human race, which is likely to be only partially true, as the unhindered growth should be for mere peaceful purposes.

The Unhindered Growth of Technology

Nowadays, various types of technologies are acknowledged to have become an integral part of peoples life. Besides, it is reasonable to claim that such progress might have a positive impact and is likely to be beneficial for society. Different technologies, complex programs, wireless nets, impulses, and other inventions are believed to have been created to make everyones life simpler and better. It could be possible to doubt the idea of a simpler life, though, as learning how to use different devices and gadgets take much time and effort. As for the concept of a better life, it is expected to be true, as many innovations prove to have succeeded in this aspect.

It is not possible to state that technology development is an easy process. A large number of specialists in various spheres work on it. This results in daily inventions of new alternatives of resource use and new access to information and differentiated data. Technologies deal with many tasks. They provide the possibility to enlarge each persons opportunities significantly. What is more, they allow using perspectives which have been unavailable and even unthinkable yet.

Hence, technologies have touched all the life aspects, starting from primary schools and finishing with studies of new technologies development and investigation into new types of matters which have not been known yet. The usage of technologies proves to facilitate the enlightenment in secondary schools, colleges, and universities for both the academic staff and students. Apart from that, thanks to the diversity of software and hardware, it has become possible to use various potential possibilities of computer technologies. Thus, they allow keeping much information in small capacities. Besides, technologies contribute to the quick processing of information and its secure storage.

Furthermore, widespread technologies have played a significant role in labor market development. Automatic processing of information manages to assist in implementing work which used to take much more time. Besides, the management can be informed about the enterprises affairs and problems immediately. Moreover, the economic potential in the segment of insurance and financial services grows due to the increase in the services exchange. At present, new project elaboration takes less time since it is not necessary to spend time on calculations. Therefore, it is possible to use all the resources for the mere process. Apart from the above-said, it is necessary to admit that technologies play a vital role in medicine. Nowadays, it is possible to create various models of disease development, which tend to contribute to the data basis aimed to invent new medicines.

Technologies appear to be an effective and efficient means of communication. For some categories, such as disabled people, they happen to be the only way to keep in touch with others. Besides, technologies might help them to find a job. Moreover, modern communication technologies tend to be available due to their reasonable pricing.

If used properly, technologies are acknowledged to have a positive impact on young kids development. It is stated that the right combination of programs and games results in logical thinking advancement and motor skills improvement. Apart from that, a child tends to build up self-confidence and dignity and get more concentrated if technologies are applied.

Taken into account the above-said, it is possible to admit that any further development and improvement of technologies might be positive as they manage to widen various opportunities to construct a better world with a more advanced human race. However, it is crucial to underline that any technologies should be advanced only for peaceful purposes to help people but not to destroy the planet.

On the other hand, there is a certain drawback in technologies playing such a notable role in day-to-day life. Unlimited access to huge volumes of information tends to entrain abundant use of technologies. This happens to result in addictions which are psychological and physical harm. First of all, these are children and teenagers who are prone to be addicted. Besides, people who are overcoming stress and suffering from internal complexes and lack of self-confidence are also likely to get addicted because online communication creates an illusion of patience. However, it does not solve psychological issues. People who play computer games, for instance, are more irritated and impulsive in their day-to-day communication. What is more, technologies tend to depreciate certain practical skills which used to be rather useful in the past, like calculations and hand-writing, nothing to say about some domestic and gardening skills.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is necessary to point out that technologies have been an integral part of day-to-day life for years. They have more advantages than disadvantages. Besides, their development should be undertaken only for peaceful purposes, as only in this case they contribute to the continued advancement of the human race.

Defined as the attempt at improving the rates of social investment from all denizens of the world population (Guiding social investment, 2015), global social progress is an essential concept that helps locate the mistakes that have been made in the past I terms of economic and political solutions, assess the effects that the recent R&D related breakthroughs have had on the quality of life, measure the current living standards and come up with the characteristics of the current stage of progress that the humankind has achieved.

Global social progress can and should be measured in order to identify the issues that need to be addressed and locate the strategies, which can be used for handling the emerging problems. Moreover, the global social progress concept provides an opportunity to look at the development of the humankind as the process enhanced by a combination of multiple factors instead of the process that is geared mostly by political, or economic, or social factors.

Traditionally, the rates of global social progress are measured by analyzing the poverty rates that each country displays, and defining the average percentage of the people, who live beyond the threshold of poverty (Porter, 2014). The given instrument can be considered rather adequate, as poverty defines social development  or, to be more exact, the lack thereof  to a considerable degree, creating obstacles on peoples way to getting proper education, providing for themselves and their families, and being able to start their own business or have the career options that will propel them to being successful in the contemporary business world (Collier, 2012).

It should be born in mind, though, that the very concept of social progress embraces a range of factors to be taken into account, including the social, the economic, the political and the cultural ones. Therein the need to adopt a more flexible and general approach emerges; in other words, it is imperative that the influence that every single factor mentioned above has on the global social progress should be evaluated accordingly.

The global social progress can also be enhanced by the promotion of corporate citizenship. Corporate citizens, in fact, play a major role in the process of promoting the global social progress. Affecting media, corporate governance and public policy, corporate citizenship creates the basis for the social responsibility that is required for enhancing the progress. Indeed, as long as people realize that the future progress depends on them, they assume the responsibilities that are related to enhancing the speed of progress (Nelson, 2005).

Unlike the rest of measurement tools that are suggested for evaluating the success of the global social progress, the approach that is based on sustainability will help identify the links between the key political, social, economic and cultural events in peoples lives, as well as the effect of the above-mentioned factors on the living standards and the poverty rates across the globe. Therefore, when it comes to defining the tool that may be used for the purposes of measuring the global social progress, one must mention the assessment of sustainability rates among the basic instruments for the general progress measurement (Social progress imperative: FAQ, 2015).

Created for assessing the overall progress of the humankind, the global social progress needs to be measured with the help of a variety of tools, including the ones that concern global economy, multiculturalism and financial issues. It is only after embracing every single factor and defining its influence on the global poverty rates that one can come up with solutions to the present-day issues.

Reference List

Collier, P. (2012). Global social progress. Web.

Guiding social investment. (2015). Social Progress Imperative. Web.

Nelson, J. (2005). Corporate citizenship in a global context. Web.

Porter, M. (2014). Social progress index 2014. Web.

Social progress imperative: FAQ. (2015). Web.

Introduction

Developmental psychology focuses on how our thoughts and behaviors change from birth to old age. The biological, environmental, cultural factors of human growth, among others, are investigated in developmental psychology. Numerous theories and models in varied psychology branches have influenced developmental psychology. Each theory and model has contributed significantly to understanding human growth and development. Additionally, every model and theory focuses on different aspects of development, such as behavioral, social, and emotional learning. This paper will focus on the human development theories, such as classical conditioning, Hierarchy of Needs Theory, and social learning theory, and how they impact development from conception to old age.

Classical Conditioning by Ivan Pavlov

Classical conditioning, also called Pavlovian conditioning, was discovered by a Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov who is learning by association. A new learned response is achieved by linking multiple stimuli in humans and animals. Suppose an unconditioned stimulus that already triggers an unconditioned response is paired with a neutral stimulus (Kagitcibasi, 2017). In that case, the neutral stimulus will become a conditioned stimulus, thereby triggering a conditioned response that is the same as the original unconditioned response.

Everything from speech to emotional response is simply patterns of response and stimulus. Classical conditioning works in three stages: before conditioning, the first stage; during conditioning, the second stage; and after conditioning, the last stage. In the first stage, an unconditioned response in an organism is produced by the unconditioned stimulus (Kagitcibasi, 2017). This means that unlearned behavior or response has been produced by a stimulus in the environment and is, therefore, a natural response that has not been taught. Thus, no new behavior has been learned yet in this respect.

For example, when I hear a familiar notification tone in public, this classical conditioning will ring true. I usually reach out for the smartphone instinctively, only to realize it is not coming from my phone. The neutral stimulus is the tone, and I associate it with a positive feeling of reading a message through classical conditioning. This is why before I present my good report card to my parents, I usually build up happy emotions. In the second stage, an unconditioned stimulus is associated with a stimulus that produces no response; at this point, it is known as a conditioned stimulus. For instance, smelling certain perfumes trigger certain viruses in my stomach. The conditioned stimulus should occur before the unconditioned stimulus instead of after it or during the same time for classical conditioning to be effective (Kagitcibasi, 2017). Therefore, the conditioned stimulus acts as a cue or signal for the unconditioned stimulus. The stimulus is associated with the unconditioned stimulus in the third and last stage to create a new conditioned response. For example, I find specific people attractive due to the pleasant perfume.

Hierarchy of Needs Theory by Abraham Maslow

Maslows Hierarchy of needs theory is a psychology theory that explains that human beings or people are greatly driven or inspired to meet or fulfill their needs based on hierarchical order. This theory is based on a hierarchy of needs that starts with the most simple or basic needs and moves successively to higher levels. The key objective of this theory is to achieve the need for self-actualization that is the last of the needs or the highest position (Kagitcibasi, 2017). The levels of the hierarchy of needs appear in pyramid shape where at the bottom is the most basic need and the top is the most advanced level. The hierarchy of needs starts at the bottom with physiological needs, then safety needs, social needs, esteem needs, and finally, self-actualization needs.

Firstly, physiological needs are the most basic needs of a human being and are very important for survival. Some examples of these needs are water, food, and air. For instance, I cannot be denied oxygen even for a few seconds because I will die since it is essential for my survival. Secondly, safety needs are crucial; the main concern is security and wellness. I have to take various actions to ensure that my safety and security are well catered for by finding a job and choosing a secure neighborhood. Thirdly, social needs, also called love and belonging, are significant for an individuals growth (Kagitcibasi, 2017). This is the state where both the physiological and safety needs have been satisfied, and the one tries to find acceptance from others in belonging and love. I need family, friendship, intimacy, social groups, and others to satisfy social needs.

During my childhood, our family moved, and I was depressed and lonely since I had no friends in the new environment. Fourthly, Esteem needs are associated with a person or individual needing to be recognized in society. It deals with getting self-respect and being recognized in society. Once a person has fulfilled the need for love and belongingness, they start to yearn for acceptance, recognition, personal worth, and growing their self-esteem (Kagitcibasi, 2017). Currently, I am a leader of the save society group, which makes my self-esteem grow. Lastly, self-actualization needs are the final level of the hierarchy of needs. These needs are at the highest level and relate to the need for a person to achieve the full potential of their ability. In self-actualization, this is where there is personal growth and development.

Social Learning Theory by Albert Bandura

Most human behavior is learned by observing through modeling and imitating other individuals behaviors, emotional reactions, and attitudes. One forms an idea of how behaviors are performed by observing others, and this information serves as a guide for action on later occasions. Albert Bandura proposes five steps for learning to occur and considers how the cognitive factors and the environment interact to promote human behavior and learning (Kagitcibasi, 2017). The five steps that promote learning are observation, attention, retention, reproduction, and finally, motivation.

Firstly, learning by observation; children observe the people surrounding them behaving differently. They are surrounded by influential models such as characters on television, friends within their peer group, parents within the family, and teachers at school. For example, I used to observe and imitate models, feminine and masculine, among others. I once imitated Michael Jackson walking behavior on stage (Kagitcibasi, 2017). However, several processes make it most likely that a child will imitate the appropriate behavior for its gender in society. For instance, the behavior imitated by a child is responded to by the people surrounding the child with punishment or motivation, or reinforcement. A child is likely to continue performing a behavior they copy from a model if the consequences are rewarding. For instance, I used to console my teddy bear during my childhood, and my mom said, You are very kind, which made me repeat the behavior because it was rewarding.

Secondly, attention; the learner needs to pay attention to certain behaviors and consequences and develop a mental representation of the behavior. It will be difficult to imitate a behavior if the learner is distracted. The first step to retaining information and acquiring knowledge is focusing on the task. Thirdly, retention; it is possible to notice a behavior but not remember it always, which prevents imitation (Kagitcibasi, 2017). Therefore, a memory of the behavior needs to be formed and performed by the observer later. This process is specifically essential in cases where social learning is not immediate. Fourthly, reproduction; reproduction is where an individual can perform what has been demonstrated by the model. It is not always possible to imitate behavior even though we see much of behavior daily. For example, it was difficult to imitate dancing on the ice; I could not do it physically, but I appreciated the skill. Fifthly, motivation; a reward or punishment always follows behavior. The consequences are the ones that determine the will to perform a specific behavior.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is essential to understand human development for various reasons. To start with, understanding factors that played a role in your childhood can help you know the person you are at present. This will also aid you in understanding the best way to model a child in the right direction. But yet again, this cannot be possible without the theories that explain the human development theories, such as classical conditioning, social learning theory, and hierarchy of needs theory. These theories all work together to influence the growth and development of humans, thereby modeling an individuals behavior or character.

Reference

Kagitcibasi, C. (2017). Family, self, and human development across cultures (2^nd ed.). Routledge.

Cooley and Mead Theories: Introduction

Socialization is the process of acquiring knowledge and skills necessary for an individual to become a member of a community. When children are born, they start undergoing primary socialization taught by people who bring them up (Ritzer & Stepnisky, 2017). Although most scholars agree on the significance of providing children with their primary needs (including language, norms, and values), there are still different theories on what socialization actually is in its nature.

According to George Herbert Mead, communication with other members of the society helps people form self-images. He characterized self-development in the following way (Ritzer & Stepnisky, 2017):

• It can appear only through social experience and is not determined by biological factors.
• Exchanging symbols is the key experience in this process.
• Children socialize when they learn how to see themselves from another perspective, i.e., as others do.
• Self-awareness appears with understanding the role of others. This is believed to be the major step of self-development.

Similarly, Charles Horton Cooley thought that interaction was the key factor for building ones self-image; however, he made emphasis on a significant other, being in the position of influence for us. Unlike Mead, Cooley believed that the notion of the looking-glass self (an image of us in the eyes of others) is more important than our perception of other people (Ritzer & Stepnisky, 2017).

However, despite their different focus, both theories are a part of the symbolic interactionist paradigm since both of them suppose that society is based on interaction, which stands for the usage and exchange of symbols to create meaning.

Key Agents of Socialization in Mead and Cooley Theories

Different scholars identify a different number of key agents of socialization. The most commonly accepted classification includes (Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum, & Carr, 2016):

• Family. Family members are the primary caregivers that satisfy all the individuals needs and provide patterns for observation and copying.
• School. Educational institutions give us formalized patterns of socialization and teach widely accepted social norms.
• Peers. This term refers to members of the community (typically with an equal status) who share certain ideas and have close relationships. Friendship helps communicate informal ideas and develop social interests.
• Mass media. All types of mass media are aimed to provide not only education but also entertainment, socializing people through what can be listened to, read, or watched.

For me, family and peers were the most important agents of socialization (with the prevalence of family). This is explained mostly by the fact that I learn best from people whom I know well and whom I can trust completely. I am much cautious of information I receive from sources that are unknown to me personally (like mass media). As for my school, it certainly taught me all the required behavior patterns, but this type of socialization was quite formal and one-dimensional.

Cooley and Mead: Sociology Theory & Feral Children

The term feral children refers to those who happened to be deprived of any human contact from birth or early age. This could happen if the child was abandoned by his/her parents or purposefully isolated from the outer surroundings. Such individuals do not possess any social skills or knowledge about social codes of conduct that are learned by children when they acquire primary socialization (Winston & Chicot, 2016). For instance, it is typical of feral children to be unable to speak or walk uprightly.

Thus, feral children are actively studied by sociologists since their condition proves the significance of primary socialization. Those who were brought up by animals usually demonstrate similar traits, behaviors, and even eating habits (Winston & Chicot, 2016). This implies that human social characteristics are not inborn (as it was previously suggested), and children do need to interact with other people to socialize.

Difference Between Mead and Cooley: Theory of Human Development

The fundamental difference between the theories of human development of these two sociologists lies in their accents. Meads theory focuses on the individuals capability to take on multiple social roles through symbolic interaction and the impact of the generalized other. However, Cooleys theory highlights the effect of social perception and the looking-glass self. Therefore, individuals develop their self-concept based on how they believe others perceive them. While both theories acknowledge social interactions significance, Mead emphasizes role-taking and internalizing societal norms. In contrast, Cooley spotlights the role of social perception and feedback in shaping the self.

Charles Horton Cooley and George Herbert Mead: Conclusion

Notably, the theories of Charles Horton Cooley and George Herbert Mead offered valuable insights into the complex process of human development. Cooleys concept reflects the meaning of social interaction in shaping an individuals self-perception. In turn, Meads symbolic interactionism theory underlines the role of language and shared meanings in personal growth. Furthermore, it demonstrates the need for social interaction and the acquisition of self-awareness by accepting anothers perspective. The comprehension of these two theories offers a coherent vision of the social nature of human development and the critical function of society in shaping self-conception.

References

Giddens, A., Duneier, M., Appelbaum, R. P., & Carr, D. S. (2016). Introduction to sociology. New York, NY: WW Norton.

Ritzer, G., & Stepnisky, J. (2017). Classical sociological theory. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Winston, R., & Chicot, R. (2016). The importance of early bonding on the long-term mental health and resilience of children. London Journal of Primary Care, 8(1), 12-14.

According World on Environment and Development (1987), sustainable development is development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Beckerman (1994) asserted that sustainability is interdisciplinary in nature and can be explored from three broad aspects namely: economic, social and environment sustainability.

This paper will extensively focus on the concept of environmental sustainability that focuses on maintenance of biodiversity, ecological system, and resource depletion. For an environmental system to be sustainable, it must maintain a stable base of resources and prevent over-exploitation of non-renewable sources of energy such as coal and oil.

Greener sources of energy such as biomass, solar panels, geothermal and wind have no detrimental effects on environment and consequently adapts significantly to the local environmental conditions. There is ample justification that conservation of ecological systems and natural resources is vital in promoting sustainable development.

Durning (1992) argued that sustainability requires a controlled level of human consumption as well as, firm social institutions. Sustainable development requires a stable level of population and economic production. Increased economic activities exert pressures on local and global environment, which interferes with atmospheric stability leading to biodiversity loss and water scarcity.

Sustainability is nevertheless broader than human consumption limitations. From an ecological perspective, sustainability involves maintenance of biological and genetic systems that include forest and pest ecosystems. The integrity of these systems must be preserved to ensure the survival of diverse species present.

This ecologists perspective contradicts the widely accepted definition of World Commission on Environment and Development. Sustainability is also heavily linked to the levels of poverty and social disparities. This correlation is derived from the fact that the level of environmental degradation experienced in rural areas is exceptional higher than in urban areas (Anand & Amartya, 1996).

Nutrient cycling is among the main processes that affect the basic functioning of the ecosystem. The cycling and recycling of nutrients is crucial for survival of living organisms. Naturally, nutrient elements and their compounds constantly move from nonliving environment to the living organisms and back.

This circulation of minerals from their reservoirs (air, water, and soil) to the living components and back to the reservoirs is called nutrient cycling. The carbon cycle involves carbon as the main element. Carbon is the principal building block of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins that are necessary for life. The cycle is based on co₂, which forms 0.03 percent of the atmosphere and ground water.

Through photosynthesis, green plants absorb co2 and convert it to complex carbohydrates, which are latter broken down, releasing a lot of energy in a process known as respiration. During respiration, carbon is converted to carbon dioxide and released to the atmosphere or water for re-use by producers.

Phosphorous cycle is slow. It is such slow cycling of nutrients that usually become the limiting factors for plant growth. This is the single reason why phosphorous is supplied to crop species through synthetic means such as fertilizers. The main element in the phosphorous cycle is phosphate, which is found in rocks and ground water. Plants and animals absorb this trace mineral, and when they die, phosphorous returns to the environment.

Nitrogen is the key element in the nitrogen cycle. The atmospheric nitrogen is not absorbable, and, therefore, organisms depend on the nitrogen cycle. The cycle takes place in three processes namely: nitrogen fixation, nitrification, and plant metabolism.

Nitrogen fixation involves UV radiation, which converts nitrogen into ammonia. Ammonia consequently converted to nitrites and nitrates through a process known as nitrification. Plants through metabolism absorb the usable nitrates and eventually, the animals consume the plants thus transferring the minerals.

Deforestation in the Amazon is a key concern for environmentalists. According to Armenteras et al. (2006), the major factors behind the destruction have been the hamburger connection and McNuggets connection. The hamburger connection relates to consumption of hamburgers in North America whereas McNuggets connection is linked to soy production for raising chicken.

The Amazon rain forest is an ecological and biological region, which boosts of many different indigenous species of animals and plants. Deforestation is also due to lack of government enforcement, demand from European consumers and international commodity prices. However, the main factors are road construction, cattle ranching, agriculture, and fires with wood extraction being a unique aspect in these factors.

References

Anand, S., & Amartya K. S. (1996). Sustainable human development: Concepts and riorities. Human Development Report Office. New York: UNDP.

Armenteras, D., Rudas G., Rodriguez N., Sua S., & Romero M. (2006). Patterns and causes of deforestation in the Colombian Amazon. In Ecological Indicators, 6, 353-368.

Beckerman, W. (1994). Sustainable development: Is it a useful concept? Environmental Values, 3, 191-209.

Durning, Alan (1992). How much is enough? The consumer society and the future of Earth. World watch Environmental Alert Series, ed. Linda Starke. New York: W.W. Norton.

There are many theories on how human development through different stages of life affects an individuals life and mental health. From the moment the first human development theory occurred, society took multiple attempts to define the exact stages of progression in human development, enhancing the previous ideas. This essay will define the current trends in the progression of human development theories and explore the role of education in human development theories.

The early human development theories were similar in the sense that they all were developed around the same time period and in the way they sequenced life events. Some of the human development theories even used previous theories as a guide. For example, Erikson initially took Freuds theory of development and modified it into his psychosocial theory. Moreover, even though all theories focused on different areas of human development, they all differentiated a number of stages connected to an individuals age.

The progression of human development theories implies theory-predicated methodological innovations in areas of research and application. According to Lerner et al. (2019), developmental science is placed at the frontier of refining concepts of human development theories into a dynamic and relational metatheory of the developmental system. In other words, in the current stage, the trends in the progression of human development theories are directed towards matching the theory, methodology, and application processes. The advancement of developmental theories established developmental science that now could be used for promoting life spans of thriving and social contribution.

The educational field transforms with more research and theories established in the field of human development. Both education and human development are closely connected to each other, and improvements in one field lead to improvements in the other area. According to Lerner et al. (2019), the educational practice and teacher training in human development areas now emphasize ways to maximize each persons opportunities. The quality of education plays a significant role in opportunities for an individuals development

In conclusion, it is important for educators to become familiar with the relationship between human development theories and the field of education because maximized opportunities give individuals more chances to succeed in school. Moreover, human development theories imply that earlier periods and events in life could alter the individuals adult life. Thus, it is necessary to make the education process friendly and comfortable for the students to ensure their happiness and stable mental health in further life.

References

Lerner, R. M., Geldhof, G. J., & Bowers, E. P. (2019). The science of learning and development: Entering a new frontier of human development theory, research, and application. Applied Developmental Science, 23(4), 305-306. doi:10.1080/10888691.2019.1630995

There has been a surge in interest in assessing human development and the elements that influence it. This area has attracted the interest of many academics and practitioners. Some academics had previously claimed that if human development is stagnant, it is a sign of impending doom, and it is impossible for a country to develop. A study was undertaken to learn more about the connection between the security index and reliability and human growth. This essay is going to research weather security and protection index and development of humans have a quantitatively positive and significant link.

Several fifty-three nations were employed as a sample size in a survey that intended to evaluate the type of relationship that exists between risk index, security, and development of humans. The variables evaluated in the experiment consisted of significant factors such as security and protection and controlled variables such as human development. Because it has a benefit over the t-test in eliminating type one error, ANOVA was utilized to analyze the data. The research was performed to address whether there is a statistically significant relationship between human advancement, security, and safety indexes (Khominich, 2019). The survey assumed that there is no statistical association between security and safety index and hominid improvement.

The alternative hypothesis was that there is a statistically important association between security and privacy index and human advancement index. The potential application to a business problem was applied in the results to divide participants into groups in the formulation of the ANOVA test. In splitting the participants, an average of 82.447 was utilized as a guide. The tiny SS group included those whose security and maintenance score was equivalent to or less than the mean. The remainder was assigned to the top SS (safety and security) squad.

In conclusion, the objective of this research was to look at the connection between human development and the security and safety index. The average of the dependant variable privacy and protection index and the dependent variable, human growth, was determined using descriptive statistical analysis. The subjects were separated into two groups, Low SS and High SS, by using an average of the independent variable as a guide. After that, a one-way ANOVA was used to examine the results. The ANOVA was substantial, and the mean difference was large, permitting the null hypothesis to be rejected and demonstrating a significant association between the security and safety index and human behavior. Additionally, an article test revealed that High SS nations had much greater social development than Low SS ones, implying that as security and safety develops, so does human evolution. These findings support the notion that the security and protection index and development of humans have a quantitatively positive and significant link.

Reference

Khominich, S. (2019). Regarding the relationship between the legal categories «public order» and «public safety» in ensuring the security of justice. Legal Novels, 2(8), 49-54.