Human Growth and Development: An Introduction for Social Workers » (1st Edition)

Social workers work with people at all stages of life, tackling a multitude of personal, social, health, welfare, legal and educational issues. As a result, all social work students need to understand human growth and development throughout the lifespan.

This introductory text provides a knowledge base about human development from conception to death. It is designed to encourage understanding of a wide range of experiences, including some very difficult ones, such as child abuse, the developmental trajectories of children in care, mental distress, the experience of people with dementia, the experience of torture victims and untimely bereavements. Using engaging narratives to illustrate real-life situations, the author analyses them to demonstrate the link between theory, and different theoretical approaches, and practice.

Packed with case studies, this student-friendly book includes overviews, summaries, questions and further reading in each chapter as well as a more formal academic section designed to challenge and intrigue students. A reference section contains a glossary and overviews of the principal theories discussed throughout the book. It is an essential read for all social work students.

List of illustrations xi

Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction 1

1 Beginnings 7

2 A secure base 33

3 The developing child 65

4 Transitions and adolescence 99

5 Living independently 127

6 Sex, love, work and children 157

7 Maturity and some of its hazards 193

8 Adulthood and ageing 229

9 Dying, grief and mourning 253

10 Fitting the pieces together 279

Essential background 291

1 The principles of heredity 292

2 Attachment theory 296

3 Bronfenbrenner's ecological model 301

4 Psychoanalytic theories 305

5 Piaget's theory of cognitive development 310

6 Erikson's psychosocial theory of personality 314

7 The humanistic models of Maslow and Rogers 317

8 Learning and behavioural models 323

9 Models of ageing: Social disengagement theory, activity theory, feminist perspectives and political economy theory 326

10 Three approaches to loss and grief 329

Glossary 331

Bibliography 339

Index 359