What Is Development?
Development refers to a process of growth in all aspects of life. It encompasses not only economic progress, but social, political and technological progress as well. These sectors are so intertwined that it’s difficult to discuss any one of them without reference to the others.
Countries can be classified as being developed or not depending on the average standard of living for their citizens and the level of access to public services, such as clean air and water, education and health care. In addition, a country’s level of development can be determined by the amount of money it earns from exporting raw materials and manufactured goods.
There are many different theories of what constitutes development. Some, like Piaget or Erickson assume that there is a universal progression of cognitive development, while others take a more contextual approach to the idea. It’s also important to note that culture is an extremely important aspect of development, which means it can be difficult to apply some developmental ideas across cultures.
One of the most popular approaches to the concept of development is lifespan theory, which suggests that development happens over an entire person’s lifetime. This idea is supported by research that shows there is no single age or stage of development that is more crucial, characterizes or dominates human developmental pathways. Instead, change is gradual and occurs in various dimensions or domains of human behavior. For example, a software developer might decide to learn a new programming language to improve his skill set and advance in her career.