A striking feature of many studies of the psychological development of
the individual is their recourse to explanations of a social nature.
This 1984 volume is centrally situated in this tradition of research,
and its authors no longer view the child and adolescent as passively
modelled by socializing processes but, rather, as actively constructing
their own identity through interaction with the social environment. The
volume includes studies of early interaction patterns from both
ethological and sociological viewpoints; of reciprocity and
directiveness in early socialization techniques; of the development of
language in interaction settings; of the role of social factors in
cognitive development; of the impact of the social and the cultural
environment on adolescents; and finally, of the socialization process in
relation to the world of work. This wide-ranging and authoritative
survey will be of interest to psychologists and professionals working in
education and the social services.