The Beginnings of Social Understanding

by Judy Dunn

What do young children, as they grow from infancy to childhood, understand of others and of their social world? How does this understanding change, and what influences its development?
The Beginnings of Social Understanding draws on detailed studies of children within their families - their disputes with mother and siblings, their empathy and cooperation, their `pretend' stories and questions about others, and their `jokes' - to show vividly how children come to understand the social rules of the family and the feelings, intentions and relationships of others.

Illustrating this case with the words of the children themselves, Judy Dunn argues that self-interest is an important force in their social development and that children's emotional experiences and their moral discourse of the family contribute crucially to their growing understanding of their social world.

224 pages, Paperback

First published November 14, 1988

About the author

Judy Dunn is the author of many books for young children. Some of her most popular titles are projects she worked on with her mother, acclaimed photographer Phoebe Dunn. Those works include The Little Rabbit, The Little Duck, The Little Puppy, The Little Kitten, and many more.

Reviews

[Roy Kenagy]

RK NARRATIVE CITED IN BRUNER NARRATIVE CONSTRUCTION OF REALITY

Young children exhibit narrative understanding