ABSTRACT
A researcher who made a significant contribution to understanding sociocultural influences on development was Vygotsky. Although, like Piaget, his focus was on cognitive development, for Vygotsky this development was inseparable from the influence of more experienced members of the culture. This chapter outlines some of the sociocultural influences and the fundamental challenges to traditional developmental psychology put forward by postmodern, critical and Indigenous perspectives. While theories and knowledge gained through the traditional scientific method are very valuable, they provide only a fragmentary picture of development. While there is evidence that western developmental psychology is influencing Indigenous psychologies, it is heartening to observe that this is not a one-way street representing yet another aspect of colonialism: western developmentalists are increasingly willing to recognize alternative perspectives, which come from listening to, rather than simply experimenting on, peoples from various cultures. It is to be hoped that such cross-fertilization of ideas will be enriching to all.
