What role does environment play in the development of a society?

Answer 1

Development is :

Lifelong - early childhood is not the end of development, cognitive development continues even when biological doesn't.

Multidimensional: There are three types of development (biological, cognitive, and socio-emotional)

Multidirectional: Some will increase throughout your lifetime whereas some factors' development will wane. E.g. social development increases throughout the lifetime whereas biological decreases after puberty.

Plastic: Debate on whether or not one is able to change. E.g. Does intelligence stop at a certain age or can you "retrain" a 70 year old to think as rapidly as say a 20 year old.

Contextual: Here there are 3 different types of contextual developments.

Normative Age Graded Influences: Things that happen to people of a similar age group. E.g. hitting puberty, prom, first day of high school, applying t university.

Normative History Graded Influences: Things that are common to people of a specific generation. E.g. Wars, economic depression.

Non-normative Life Events: Things that happen to only a certain few people in comparison to others. E.g. dealing with death of a close family member at an early stage in life.

Of course, finally there is the obvious nature vs. nurture debate.

Nature: Believing that one has a set course in life and we live to unravel it. Most of our personality, biological process etc is set by nature. This is of course true to a certain degree. This is similar to the Maturational Theory developed by Gesell, which states that changes that occur in children are due to a prearranged scheme within the body.

Nurture: Believing that environmental factors affect an individual more than their course determined by nature. For example, Erickson and Freud both believed in the psychological/psychoanalytical theories. children can change through conflict, their own impulses or the demands of society. Other psychologists such as Bandura, Watson, Pavlov, and Skinner believed in this as well.

Answer 2

The environment can influence society's culture, economy, and way of life. Factors such as geography, climate, and available resources can shape how a society develops its customs, traditions, and social structures. Additionally, environmental changes and challenges can impact a society's ability to thrive and adapt over time.

Answer 3

Food, water, cover from enemies, building construction/materials and in early times, weapons. You would need a surplus of food and a division of labor.