The environment of the child

Abstract

This paper offers a framework for the analysis and evaluation of intervention on children's behalf against which to analyze actions upon their environment. The first section looks at the complex issue of defining suitable child development outcomes for intervention programs, noting that because the concept of childhood varies across cultures and classes, definitions of developmental outcomes need to take into account cultural and class variables. The second section examines two examples of environmental conditions that threaten children's development, poverty and prejudice, and explains how both situations involve complex systems of adverse circumstances that tend to be chronic and that interact in a multiplicative fashion with respect to negative effects on children's development. The third section summarizes briefly the characteristics of a general model for planning and analyzing the results of interventions on children's behalf, recommending that interventions be: (1) child-entered; (2) cultural'.y sensitive; (3) multi-faceted to combat multiple afflictions; (4) support families, improve health care and schools, and enhance neighborhood conditions; and (5) demolish societal barriers to child development, such as ethnic prejudice. An afterword examines the implications of the findings for future program development. Contains 87 references. (MDM) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ********************************************************************1** U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUOOTION Office of Educational Research and hsprovemenl EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES .NFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) /rehis document has been reproduced as ceived from the person or organization originating it 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproducton quality Points ol view Of opinions stated in Isis document do not necessarily represent official OERI position Or policy