The influence of the social context on the development of the child's psyche

Abstract

This article explores the implications of introductory studies carried out through a literature review and aims to promote reflection on the importance of the social environment in promoting the child's psychological development. According to the conception of child development from the perspective of Historical-Cultural Psychology, children need to appropriate culture in order to develop their psyche and become part of the human race. This appropriation takes place in the social and material relationships that come from the social environment in which the child is inserted, an appropriation that takes place in a mediated way, especially through language. By studying the process of hominization that took place in phylogenesis - a process promoted by work - and the humanization provided by ontogenesis to each child from birth, we can see that child development is not a natural phenomenon, but a socially developed one. In this way, it is possible to understand how much the environment in which the child is inserted is responsible for their psychic formation, for the formation of their personality, and it is therefore essential that it be an environment rich in culture, affection and humanizing values. This is fundamental for any social group present in the child's upbringing, especially when it comes to the school environment, which must be more intentional in promoting their higher psychic functions.