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Seminar "Human Development in Latin America and the Caribbean: Contributions from Developmental Psychology"

If the ultimate goal of the development of societies and individuals is to achieve comprehensive well-being, then one of the fundamental dimensions to consider in the development process of countries is human development. This is, first, because increases in well-being depend, in part, on the biological, cognitive, and socio-emotional aspects that comprise it. And second, because human development directly impacts the advancement of other dimensions of development. For example: political development requires people with the ability to deliberate on common issues, sustain fruitful dialogues, and generate virtuous public leadership; social development requires individuals capable of establishing healthy relationships, generating bonds of friendship and solidarity, and thus contributing to collective well-being and social cohesion; and for economic development, cognitive and socio-emotional skills are essential, as they directly impact productivity and job performance.
From this perspective, human development can be understood as the process of strengthening people's skills and abilities in their life in society. To understand this process, the contributions of psychology are fundamental.
As early as 1946, Arnold Gesell—one of the pioneers of human developmental psychology—pointed out in his book The 5- to 10-Year-Old Child that human behavior is governed by “natural laws of development,” and that understanding them through science would allow for improved human relationships. In the first half of the 20th century, the concept of human development was primarily associated with child development, with key contributions from figures such as Stanley Hall and Jean Piaget, widely recognized as founding fathers of this discipline.
By the 1950s, Gesell himself observed that the literature on biological and social aspects of human development had grown significantly. New themes began to emerge, such as the relevance of education (Haimowitz and Haimowitz, 1966), learning and social change (Alexander, 1973), epigenetics (Bower, 1979), and the influence of social and cultural context (Bonfrenbrenner, 1981).
By the 1980s, the approach to human development was broadened to include not only children and adolescents, but also adults and the elderly. This comprehensive approach, known as life-span human development, was consolidated by authors such as Schiamberg (1982). Along these lines, the Handbook of Cross-Cultural Psychology noted in 1997 that “human development occurs throughout a person's life, although this obvious fact has not always been explicitly recognized by psychologists.”
Regarding the domains of human development, the Encyclopedia of Psychology defines it from a life-span perspective, including the biological, cognitive, and socio-emotional dimensions. According to this definition, the ultimate goal of human development is to develop self-actualized and caring individuals, that is, individuals who care about both their own well-being and that of others.
More recently, the United Nations Compact for the Future commits member countries to ensuring that children and young people "can reach their full potential" (Action 34), emphasizing health, education, and social protection systems for this age group. As the most recent empirical evidence on human development has shown, the first decades of a person's life are essential for their future development prospects.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, the challenges of human development today require a deeper understanding of existing diagnoses. Although measurement in the region is still in its infancy, significant progress has been made in the last decade, particularly with comparable instruments across countries that assess socio-emotional and cognitive development.
This seminar, jointly organized by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Latin American Union of Psychology Entities (ULAPSI), aims to share current diagnoses of human development in the region. To this end, recent measurement experiences, reflections from developmental psychology, and trend analyses will be presented, with the aim of advancing toward a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of human development in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Program
9:30 – 9:45 Opening Remarks
- Javier Medina, Deputy Executive Secretary of ECLAC.
- Carolina Moll, Secretary-General of ULAPSI (virtual).
9:45 – 11:15 Panel: Human Development in Latin America and the Caribbean
Moderation: Felipe Correa, ELADES Coordinator.
- Pedro Paulo Bicalho, President of the Federal Council of Psychology of Brazil (virtual).
- Rodrigo Castaneda-Valle, PISA and TALIS Analyst, OECD (virtual).
- Carlos Henríquez Calderón, General Coordinator of the Latin American Laboratory for the Evaluation of the Quality of Education, UNESCO.
- Ricardo Rosas, Professor at the School of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.
11:15–12:15 Questions and comments from the audience