Toward a 21st Century Developmental Theory: Principles to Account for Diversity in Children's Lives

<p> If ‘culture’ is not simply treated as an additional influence or variable, as in Developmentally Appropriate documents and DSM-IV, then cultural studies lead one to conclude there is essential diversity in human development. The cultural context establishes the objectives which define individual and social development. Based on our studies of Latino immigrants, we propose principles providing a basis for a deep revision of developmental theory: some deal with knowledge production; others specify fundamental assumptions of systems theory—hierarchical organization, multiple pathways of development. We supply illustrative cases, which suggest, besides theoretical plausibility, the usefulness of the principles in understanding such situations. </p>