Human Growth & Development, 2nd Edition

"One of the great strengths of Beckett′s writing is that his style is accessible to new undergraduates and he makes sure that complex material is summarized in a way that enables students to understand difficult issues."
-Jacqueline Hughes, University of Huddersfield

Human Growth and Development, Second Edition is a bestselling introduction to emotional, psychological, intellectual and social development throughout the lifespan. Written for students training in fields such as social work, healthcare and education, the book covers topics which are central to understanding people whether they are clients, service users, patients, or pupils.

Each chapter outlines theories that explain development at different stages of life and the transitions we make between childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age. For this Second Edition, a new chapter has been added (Chapter 10: It Takes a Village: the Sociological Perspective) exploring the wider social factors which influence human growth and development. Activities are provided within each chapter to help student test theoretical concepts against their own experience and intuitions.

Combining theoretical concepts and reflective learning, this book is the ideal introduction to psychosocial development for students on a wide range of professional courses.

Chris Beckett studied Psychology at Bristol University and qualified as a social worker at Bangor, North Wales, in 1980, going on to work for eighteen years as a social worker and social work manager, and then for fifteen years as a social work lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University and the University of East Anglia. He has had a parallel career for some time as a writer of fiction and is now a full-time writer. His novel, Dark Eden was the winner of the Arthur C. Clarke award for 2012.

Hilary Taylor trained as a social worker after studying English at Oxford University, qualifying in 1973. At the beginning of her career she worked with all service user groups, and later in adult social care, mental health, group therapy and family mediation. She then moved into social work training and education, teaching at Anglia Ruskin University for nine years and also working as an independent practice teacher. She also trained as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist, and now has a private counselling and psychotherapy practice.