Definition
- Socioemotional development refers to the process through which individuals learn to understand, express, and manage emotions, and develop social relationships and identity across the lifespan.
- It combines social development (how we relate to others) and emotional development (how we understand and manage feelings).
Socioemotional development encompasses how individuals move from understanding themselves and others to managing emotions and navigating social worlds. There are various theoretical lenses that can help us understand how individuals develop based on internal psychological elements that interact with external circumstances.
- Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological system
- Diana Baumrind’s parenting styles
- Erik Erikson’s psychosocial development stages
- James Marcia’ Identity Statuses
- Lawrence Kolhberg’s moral development
- Carol Gilligan’s Ethics of Care vs. Ethics of Justice (related to moral development)
