Social change and human development in Chinese context: A pluralist-constructivist perspective

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1041.2024.00977

Abstract

Abstract: The ongoing social change in China may promote co-existence and integration of traditional and new values, which likely has a significant impact on individual socialization experiences and development. Different values may serve different functions in human development, helping individuals achieve personal goals and develop social connectedness. From the pluralist-constructivist perspective, the exposure to and integration of diverse values and lifestyles during social change may provide opportunities for young people to develop new qualities and competencies that allow them to function flexibly and effectively in different circumstances. Social interactions at the group level, particularly the evaluation and regulation processes based on changing cultural norms and values, are an important context that shapes the display of specific behaviors and their functional meanings or significance and are a main mechanism for the impact of social change on human development. This article elaborates on the pluralist-constructivist perspective and discusses issues involved in the study of social change and human development in China. Research has indicated that children show initial biases in reactivity, self-regulation or -control, and other temperamental characteristics, providing a foundation for how they interact with their environments in specific manners. Chinese children display distinct characteristics in the early years that are associated with later behaviors, such as compliance and shyness. At the same time, traditional Chinese group-oriented culture, particularly Confucian principles such as the doctrine of filial piety, play a major role in determining the socialization goals and practices, such as care-based power-assertive parenting. Social change has influenced and will continue to influence the patterns, processes, and outcomes of human development in various domains from these two starting points. The article concludes with suggestions for future research directions.

Key words: social change, human development, the pluralist-constructivist perspective

CLC Number:

B849: C91

Xinyin CHEN. (2024). Social change and human development in Chinese context: A pluralist-constructivist perspective. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 56(7), 977-993.

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