HOW CHILDREN DEVELOP: An Advanced Theoretical Model

What is it about?

The modern practice of analyzing and working with children who exhibit anomalous developmental patterns and behaviors began in London in the 1930s and 40s, based on the theoretical, psychological models of Jean Piaget and Sigmund Freud. Carl Jung abandoned his investigations into child psychology when he separated his work from Freudian theory around 1910. Conceding to Freud's theories of ego development in the child, Jung focused his work on holistic personality development in adults in their second half of life._x000D_ In the 1930s and '40s Erich Neumann took up Jung's abandoned work on child development, envisioning a developmental model for the ego that is drawn toward integration in the collective consciousness of the society into which it is born. Yet, during development, Neumann theorized that the ego remains connected to the archetypal, spiritual element of the soul. This connection creates an ego-soul, axis along which holistic development can proceed. The ego matures in its relation to collective consciousness of society, leaving the soul behind in the "unconscious," while ego dominates the personality. The ego-soul axis will be rediscovered in the second half of life, as the individual strives toward a holistic personality._x000D_ Michael Fordham criticized the Jungian-Neumann ego-centric model showing that the child's development was actually centered in the soul, to which the ego is attached. This soul-ego axis should be retained throughout development. _x000D_ Neumann's revised model moves closer to a synthesis with Fordham's model. He shows how the soul is nurtured in a way that suggests that consciousness in no longer centered in the ego-mind complex, but resides in the personality along the soul-ego axis._x000D_ In the 1940s and '50s cultural philosopher Jean Gebser named different structures of consciousness that emerge as the soul-ego union develops. Maintaining the soul-ego axis throughout development leads to a new structure of consciousness that he called integral consciousness. With this new theoretical model in mind, reconsidering how we raise and educate children leads to the development of an individuated, integral consciousness. This is an evolved structure of consciousness that balances ego and soul; nature and spirit in a holistic personality.

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Photo by Yannis H on Unsplash

Photo by Yannis H on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Since the end of the 19th century, child development in most of the world's societies has focused on development of the ego-mind complex through universal education. This has led to fantastic levels of scientific and technological advancement. It has also led to rationally constructed ideologies governing social, political and economic development, on a national and international scale, that has impoverished the souls of individuals, threatens the environmental stability of the planet we share, and created ideological conflicts that, using advanced technological warfare, threaten the very survival of our humanity. Rediscovering the balance between mind and soul, unified in a holistic personality, is the only way to secure our continued existence in the face of the powers of technology, rationality and chaotic emotions that have come to define our social-cultural environment. As adults, parents and teacher we are given a grave responsibility to cultivate this new level of consciousness in raising and educating our children.

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