Science is the driving force behind human development. Through the study of science, we study ourselves. We investigate what it means to be human, what makes us human, and what is wrong. We study our genes, behavior, nurture, and so on. Through science, we learn about ourselves and, perhaps more importantly, we learn what we can and cannot do. We learn about ourselves and what we can do as humans. But, what is Science’s function when it comes to human development?
Science and Human Development – Connecting the Dots
Human development is the field of study that deals with how children or young adults grow into mature adults. Human development is interdisciplinary in nature, drawing on facts and theories from many disciplines. The discipline focuses on all aspects that make a human a ‘person,’ including biological, psychological, social, cultural, economic, and political aspects.
Human development is the field of study that deals with how children or young adults grow into mature adults. Human development is interdisciplinary in nature, drawing on facts and theories from many disciplines. The discipline focuses on all aspects that make a human a ‘person,’ including biological, psychological, social, cultural, economic, and political aspects.
But before that, let’s know more about human development.
More About Human Development
Human development is a field of study that spans across disciplines and overlaps with several other academic subjects. For example, it overlaps with psychology, medicine, sociology, and anthropology, among others. All the disciplines mentioned above have areas that focus on aspects of human development, such as cognition, personality, sexual behavior, and physical and mental health, among others.
Human development is the process of people growing from infancy to adulthood, which normally happens over the course of about 20 years. This is also known as childhood development. Human development involves both biological and psychological processes, experiencing different developmental stages of life at different rates. Different factors influence human development, including the environment and genetics, which each have unique effects on the way a child develops. For example, certain environments may be ideal for encouraging certain characteristics in a child, while others may hinder development.
What Did Science Contribute to Human Development?
Humans, as we know, are a complex species, having a distinct nature. As science advanced, the contributions of science to human development began being realized.
The first advancement was in the field of medicine. Early man’s knowledge of medicine was very limited. Some knowledge of illnesses was passed down from generation to generation. But in this day and age, the profound understanding of human anatomy and physiology is incredibly advanced. This knowledge has made tremendous contributions to human wellbeing.
Science is a critical tool that contributed to human advancements. The progress of science is a result of men and women putting their creative minds together in the quest of uncovering the unknown. Now, science is a very broad term; it is an umbrella term for the methodology of acquiring scientific knowledge and understanding, which is based on observation and experimentation.
Science has contributed a lot to human development, specifically in areas like nutrition, medicine, energy, and the environment. Reading the evolution of science, one will realize how much progress we have made, especially in the last decade.
The Functions of Science in Human Development
Science has played a key role in human development since the beginning of time. It has given us the ability to live longer, improve our health, build better communities, and have better opportunities in life. Science and technology are also more important than ever in human development, with science playing a critical role in human development, especially in the current global digital environment.
Check out the following functions of science in human development:
- Science contributes to human development through
- health and medical discoveries
- technological advances
- architectural and design innovations
- developments in science and mathematics
- Three functions are associated with the broad range of science
- health – research, treatments, and medications
- environment – protecting the environment
- civilization – technological advancements
- economic growth – economic development
- Science contributes to human development through
- artistic and scientific endeavors
- advancements to public health
- economic and technological developments
- architectural and architectural designs
Science in human development is a multi-disciplinary approach that combines knowledge about human development and human development science (i.e., a science of human development). As such, the science in human development approach aims to address multiple developmental issues from a bio-social perspective. The ultimate goal of the science in human development approach is to enable human development scientists to develop, implement, and evaluate developmental policies—both individually and collectively—to improve human well-being.
Why Should We Learn About These Functions?
Did science contribute big to human development? There is still a lot for scientists to do in this field. Biology, Anatomy, Physiology, and Genetics are some of the disciplines that created the foundation of our evolution. However, due to advancements in technology, the findings in these disciplines are not new or revolutionary. These disciplines are more of something we have studied and mastered. Biology is the mother of all the sciences, and without it, our lives would be much different. The ability to research and understand our bodies is one of the best accomplishments of the human race.
One thing that’s important to know about human development because it’s not a linear process. Instead, it’s more of an on-and-off process that proceeds in waves. There are many factors that impact human development through, so it’s important to know at least a few of them.