Social Development in Childhood and Adolescence: A Contemporary Reader

Edited by two leading scholars, Social Development in Childhood and Adolescence brings together the most significant classic and contemporary writings in this area to provide a comprehensive overview of this dynamic field.

• Provides all that is needed for teaching social development with the selection of key topics for a 13-week semester, an introductory chapter with an overview of the field and key questions, introductory text for each of 5 sections that contain 3 articles each for a total of 36 articles, with extra materials including discussion questions and classroom exercises
• Covers key topics such as genetics, temperament, attachment, prosocial development, theory of mind, peer relationships, morality, identity, social withdrawal, aggression, exclusion, stereotyping, parenting, and culture.
• Addresses issues related to culture, ethnicity, immigration, and diversity
• Provides a historical, conceptual, and theoretical overview of social development in the introductory chapter
• Includes introductory sections by the editors for each weekly topic which define key terms and highlights important conceptual issues
• Integrates helpful pedagogical material throughout: feature boxes highlight current hot topics and real-world applications; end-of-chapter questions, debate topics, and in-class exercises facilitate student understanding and classroom discussion

Melanie Killen, Ph.D., is Professor of Human Development and the Associate Director for the Center for Children, Relationships, and Culture at the University of Maryland. Her research is on the development of social cognition, moral reasoning, and intergroup attitudes.

Robert J. Coplan, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Pickering Centre for the Study of Human Development at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. His research is on children's social and emotional development and peer relationships.