One of the most profound insights of the dynamic systems perspective is that new structures resulting from the developmental process do not need to be planned in advance, nor is it necessary to have these structures represented in genetic or neurological templates prior to their emergence. Rather, new structures can emerge as components of the individual and the environment self-organize; that is, as they mutually constrain each other's actions, new patterns and structures may arise. This theoretical possibility brings into developmental theory the important concept of indeterminism--the possibility that developmental outcomes may not be predictable in any simple linear causal way from their antecedents. This is the first book to take a critical and serious look at the role of indeterminism in psychological and behavioral development. * What is the source of this indeterminism? * What is its role in developmental change? * Is it merely the result of incomplete observational data or error in measurement? It reviews the concepts of indeterminism and determinism in their historical, philosophical, and theoretical perspectives--particularly in relation to dynamic systems thinking--and applies these general ideas to systems of nonverbal communication. Stressing the indeterminacy inherent to symbols and meaning making in social systems, several chapters address the issue of indeterminism from metaphorical, modeling, and narrative perspectives. Others discuss those indeterministic processes within the individual related to emotional, social, and cognitive development.

This major new textbook by Jaan Valsiner focuses on the interface between cultural psychology and developmental psychology. Intended for students from undergraduate level upwards, the book provides a wide-ranging overview of the cultural perspective on human development, with illustrations from pre-natal development to adulthood. A key feature is the broad coverage of theoretical and methodological issues which have relevance to this truly interdisciplinary field of enquiry encompassing developmental psychology, cultural anthropology and comparative sociology. The text is organized into five coherent parts: Part 1: Developmental theory and methodology; Part 2: Analysis of environments for human development Part 3:

This work focuses on the individual development of identity and the processes involved. By working from emotions and a dynamic systems perspective, it offers a new approach to human identity and its development across the lifespan.

This volume brings together a collection of papers centred on the theme of the psychological functions that are built up by communication in the developing child.

This volume considers the teaching of writing in computer-supported and traditional classrooms. It is divided into three main sections which consider: literary processes - access to a symbolic system; learning and meaning in childhood; and literacy and activity contexts in adulthood.

The crucial nature of developmental theory is the question of relationship between cultural and personal facets of human development. Dialogue is a useful concept to specify this relationship from a process-oriented perspective. In its broadest sense, the notion of dialogue entails the interaction between at least two entities (persons, meanings, perspectives) out of which novelty can (but need not) emerge. Thus, dialogic models are open for developmental questions. These issues are examined in this, the first volume in which the increasingly popular metaphor of dialogue is systematically applied to developmental issues. Dialogue is a multilevel concept and can be understood (1) as a real exchange between two interacting persons, (2) as the interaction between culture at large (e.g. stories and narratives) and the interacting, developing person, and (3) as a metaphor for developmental processes in general. In the first part of this international volume, the concept of dialogue is elaborated by researchers from different disciplines. The focus of the second section is on dialogic models in the area of self development. The third deals with the dialogical co-development of person and culture.

One of the most profound insights of the dynamic systems perspective is that new structures resulting from the developmental process do not need to be planned in advance, nor is it necessary to have these structures represented in genetic or neurological templates prior to their emergence. Rather, new structures can emerge as components of the individual and the environment self-organize; that is, as they mutually constrain each other's actions, new patterns and structures may arise. This theoretical possibility brings into developmental theory the important concept of indeterminism--the possibility that developmental outcomes may not be predictable in any simple linear causal way from their antecedents. This is the first book to take a critical and serious look at the role of indeterminism in psychological and behavioral development. * What is the source of this indeterminism? * What is its role in developmental change? * Is it merely the result of incomplete observational data or error in measurement? It reviews the concepts of indeterminism and determinism in their historical, philosophical, and theoretical perspectives--particularly in relation to dynamic systems thinking--and applies these general ideas to systems of nonverbal communication. Stressing the indeterminacy inherent to symbols and meaning making in social systems, several chapters address the issue of indeterminism from metaphorical, modeling, and narrative perspectives. Others discuss those indeterministic processes within the individual related to emotional, social, and cognitive development.