ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the social development of children from birth to 8 years of age. It examines the influence that society and culture have on young children's social development as well as how theories of social development permeate and affect our understanding of children. The chapter provides an understanding of the main aspects of social development and also provides an overview of the key theories of social development. It explores what constitutes a society and considers some of the influences on social development, including gender, the family, culture and race. The chapter also explains some of the behaviour problems children may experience and considers some of the external influences on social development, such as social policy and the environment. Social development is concerned with learning to live with others in a social learning environment: in society. Social learning theories attempt to explain behaviour in terms of social learning rather than psychoanalytical theories.
