Understanding the developmental stages involved in the growth of a person from early childhood is essential in the field of psychology. The definition for developmental psychology focuses on identifying the scientific study that involves the understanding of the manner in which human beings experience changes in their day-to-day lives. One essential aspect of developmental psychology is the understanding of the relationships that are part of the growth of an individual such as a parent-child relationship and how it has transformed over the years.
In the presentation by Alison Gopnik in her book "The Gardener and the Carpenter" she focuses on the topic of child development and the aspect of parenting. In her presentation, Gopnik mentions that there have been changes in the manner in which parenting is conducted from over the last few decades(Talks at Google). According to Gopnik, the word parenting started being mentioned in the early 1960's, and there was an exponential rise in its usage from the 1970's up to today. The author narrates that in the period of the early period of the use of the word parenting, 1960s-1990s, raising of children involved the extended family(Talks at Google). Gopnik identifies that raising children involved the aunties, uncles, grandparents, cousins and other relatives, hence parenting was on more on a communal platform.
Gopnik mentions that future generations were taught parenting skills through this engagement which is different from today. Gopnik identifies a contrast where she indicates that parenting today is taught through attending parenting classes(Talks at Google). I can relate to this in my upbringing where there is a difference in the manner in which I was brought up in my family. In the interactions with my older cousins, uncles, and aunties, they usually mention how they interacted more with their grandparents, aunties, and cousins when growing up. Upon inquiring from them how they learned to bring up their children, they maintain that most of their parenting skills were transferred to them from aunts and uncles who they used to interact with when growing up. I can establish a different type of parenting technique when I visit some of my cousins who maintain that they rely a lot on parenting classes, advice from peers, and the internet on the best upbringing practices.
Another idea forwarded by Gopnik is the comparison of the aspect of the gardener. Gopnik mentions that for a gardener, they have to ensure they create the right ecosystem to ensure that there is successful growth(Talks at Google). She maintains that the gardener ensures the soil is rich enough to sustain the spontaneous growth. She relates this to human development by suggesting that humans should create an environment especially during child development that promotes a strong resilience to change(Talks at Google). In my upbringing, my parents always insisted on the need to have an open mind and avoid elements that would make me rigid in life. My parents believed in the analogy of trial and error where they encouraged taking initiatives and appreciating the outcomes even negative results since they believed flexibility and openness to ideas is essential in today's world. My upbringing is in line with the suggestion by Gopnik where she highlights that parenting is similar to the ecosystem of a garden where a protective childhood should promote the development of unexpected and different things can happen which facilitates human progress across generations(Talks at Google). The avenue to try different things in my upbringing has enabled me to have an open mind where I believe in engaging in new ideas and various activities.
Gopnik suggests that there is a higher probability for a child to flourish when they are placed in an environment where they have the liberty to explore such as accidental groups in preschoolers(Talks at Google). Gopnik applies the metaphor of a carpenter who chisels away the wood with the determination to shape it into a particular shape and the gardener who ensures the garden has the best conditions to ensure any plant can flourish(Talks at Google). The description applies in my development based on the parenting techniques my parents employed in my family. I had the privilege of observing the growth of my younger brother right from pre-school. My parents had minimal restrictions in the activities my brother would engage in, and they offered him leeway to try different activities both in school and out of school. Instead of insisting on him to enroll in a particular school, or play a specific sport or music classes, my parents offered him the avenue to choose the activities he wanted to engage himself. I had reservations regarding this approach since I feared this might lead him to dangerous activities. However, the approach applied by my parents enabled my brother to become an independent-minded individual who believes in himself and is not afraid of taking risks as long as it is in line with his goals. Through this experience, I have come to understand the concept of the gardener and the carpenter.
Conclusion
The concepts introduced by Gopnik in her narration are efficient in childhood development. Gopnik deviates from the standard child development theories and tacks the element of modern parenting which can identify the role a parent plays in the upbringing of a child. Gopnik emphasizes on the gardener model which facilitates the proper environment which facilitates a wide array of options and promotes resilience in a child.
Work Cited
Talks at Google. Alison Gopnik: “The Gardener and the Carpenter” | Talks at Google. 2016. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xURCmzmQG8s.
