Full Description
Affects, Cognition, and Language as Foundations of Human Development considers human development from the three most basic systems—affects (our earliest feelings), cognition, and language. Holinger explores how these systems enhance potential and help prevent problems, both in individuals and in societies.
He begins with a focus on the affects of interest and anger and how affects provide the foundation for the sense of self and playing and creating. The author delves into cognition in the context of human relationships and infants' remarkable capacity to understand language long before they can talk. Drawing on the work of Darwin, Freud, Stern, Basch, and the ground-breaking ideas of Silvan Tomkins, this work thus deepens the exploration into human development by integrating affects, cognition, and language. The author also uses this triad to examine two important societal issues: physical punishment, and bias, prejudice, and violence.
This book will not only appeal to psychologists, psychoanalysts, psychiatrists, and social workers but is also accessible to parents, educators, and policymakers.
Contents
Part 1 Developing 1. Developing: Exploring Human Development via Affects, Cognition, and Language 2. The Evolving Concept of Affects 3. Current Concepts of Affects: Functions and Examples 4. The Affect of Interest: The Core of Our Existence 5. Affects: The Foundation of Playing and Creating 6. Affects, Early Development, and the Sense of Self 7. Anger: The Misunderstood Affect 8. Emerging Cognition 9. Language: Before Children Begin to Talk 10. Affects into Words: When Children Begin to Talk 11. Integrating Affects, Cognition, and Language: The Impact of Early Verbalization of Affects, the Emergence of Empathy, and Clinical Implications Part 2 Societal Implications of Understanding Affects, Cognition and Language: Views on Overcoming Physical Punishment and Bias, Prejudice, and Violence Introduction to Part2: Physical Punishment and Toward Understanding Bias, Prejudice, and Violence 12. Physical Punishment: "The Canary in the Coal Mine" 13. Toward Understanding Bias, Prejudice, and Violence 14. Wrapping Up and a Glance at the Future
