Rousseau's Organismic Approach Analysis

which Dylan and Eric were learning how to think and behave from one another through social learning and vicarious learning. The question on whether my personal world view is more like Locke or Rousseau is a difficult question for me to answer. I’ve went back and forth in my mind, examining the strengths and weaknesses of both. I tend to believe that life is both, and normally isn’t just one perspective or the other. However, I tend to lean towards Rousseau’s organismic approach. Overall, the child is an active being, exploring and changing the world around them. To me this makes evolutionary sense, and is supported by most evolutionary psychologists. I have learned though the years of teaching that the evidence suggests that the human …show more content…
I remember seeing both of my children develop both cognitively and behaviorally in relatively predictable manner. I also understand that their growth isn’t unique and is expected by any healthy child. Children normally begin walking and talking around the same time periods. The organismic approach fits nicely with Piaget’s cognitive development. The idea of objective permanence is seen through all humans one way or another. Egocentric thinking, Kohlberg’s moral reasoning, and even Maslow’s hierarchy of needs all seem to fit this type of perspective. Rousseau’s perspective makes the world predictable and active at the same time. Although, instinct isn’t considered a major factor in a human being’s life, it seems to have its …show more content…
If we understand that the child is active, rather than passive participants within their environment, then we can develop strategies which focus on the current level of development, rather than focus only on the behaviors. For example, if we have a child who is having difficulties with paying attention in class and having the inability to empathize with others, we might assume that the child may be in the egocentric stage of development and hasn’t yet move onto the next stage where most of his classmates may be. If we focus on his developmental stage, rather than just his behavioral difficulties, then we can address the problem by using strategies which might help the student to begin to think in the next stage of development. Instead of redirecting him while the child is engaging in inappropriate behaviors, we should try to focus on what the child is trying to accomplish while being active within his environment. In short, what is the reason why the child is behaving the way he/she is behaving. Knowing that the child is active within their world, we should focus on the type of learning this particular child gravitates towards. Some children are active in the sense they are kinesthetic learners, auditory learners, artistic learners, mathematical learners. Using the multiple intelligence frameworks, we can begin to understand that specific child in relation to how they behave actively