Developmental Research and Comparative Perspectives: Applications to Developmental Science

Abstract

The goal of this volume is to report recent work in an emerging discipline that refers to itself as developmental science . It is the position of most practitioners identifying themselves with this discipline that development must be conceptualized as processes of structural or organizational change, particularly such change as leads to emergence of novelty. Development so defined is not limited to a process that occurs only for human individuals; many other entities can be considered as undergoing development. Based on these fundamental assumptions, this volume devotes its attention to the more specific consideration of the role and value of comparative perspectives in developmental science. This chapter contributes to this goal by providing a metatheoretical framework for thinking about scientific practice that may prove useful for developmental science generally and its consideration of comparative perspectives specifically. Although much of the content of this chapter concerns areas that traditionally have been considered the purview of philosophy, particularly philosophy of science, I write it as a person trained in human development. My perspective is related to my general acceptance of co–constructive metatheory, particularly as it is expressed in cultural–historical or sociogenetic theories of development. The primary purpose of my presentation and discussion of this particular framework is to contribute to making whatever metatheoretical positions are adopted by developmental scientists the result of conscious, reflective processes, the outcome of which are acknowledged clearly.