A Changing Child in Changing World: Psychological and Educational Problems of the New School

Abstract

In his Address to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (November 2009) Dmitry Medvedev, when speaking of Our New School national educational programme, set a crucial goal which consists disclosing abilities of each student and nurturing him/her as a personality ready for life the modern world. Unfortunately, despite the huge number of works of economists, philosophers, sociologists, historians, who designate it as a global community, speculate on the transition to postcivilization, neosphere, anthropogenic civilization, and draw attention to civilization breakdown, the meaning of our world is still not disclosed.In spite of the fact that the human development and functioning have undergone changes this changing world, we know even less about the man and changes him.Despite the diversity of the researches, practice we can deal only with contradictory data, observations or views, which fix the real changes. We are faced with the difficult situation of development of a contemporary human individual.For example, on the one hand, the growth of self-awareness of a human being and development of self-critical thinking are being traced and indicated. On the other hand, uncertainty, tension and anxiety come to the fore. Instability of social, economic and ideological situation is discrediting most moral values which cause immense psychological stress. The latter influences mental and physical health of people who live the global community. These factors make people passive and indifferent.In short, nowadays social and psychological sphere have obviously changed. This can be objectively related to ongoing changes cultural and historical environment. According L.S. Vygotsky, genius of the Russian psychology, environment acts in the sense of personal development and specific human characteristics, not as furnishings, but serves as a source of development.Therefore, there arises a problem of comprehending the environment of the contemporary person. The problem focuses on how we understand what is the world around us, what kind of society we live and what are behavioural patterns and developmental features the contemporary situation, and what the requirements of this society are. In this connection it is important to quote Abraham Maslow, American psychologist: Every age but ours has had its model, its ideal ... - the saint, the hero, the gentleman, the knight, the mystic. About all we have left is the well-adjusted man without problems, a very pale and doubtful substitute.The substitute is more than ever doubtful the developing society, within the significant shifts interpersonal, intergroup relations of human individuals, including family relationships at work and their general attitude to work.We find it important to unveil the nature of mentality change, value guides, dramatic changes of cognitive and emotional sphere of people, accompanied by, inter alia, implementation of behavioural patterns which are alien to Russian culture, the consumerism, increasing indifference to the communication and, what is very alarming, general and individual psychological alienation of the adults from children, which is generating a risk of deteriorating the entire system of cultural and historical inheritance.Two or three decades ago a child belonged mainly to a small group or a social community such as a family, a class, a group of peers, Pioneer and Komsomol organizations, but always with a clear attachment to a particular adult person. Nowadays a child is placed a completely new situation with broken boundaries. While at kindergarten and junior school (Russian preschool), a child finds himself/herself submerged a boundless social space.A child's mind is influenced by the chaotic flow of information coming from the TV, the Internet, which blocks the knowledge obtained from parents, educators and teachers, and also opens up a boundless area for various forms of relationships, ties and activities. …