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While not doubting its importance, Kagan suggests that perhaps more crucial to human development is the construction of experience, perception, and comparison of ourselves to others which begins during the fifth or sixth year of life. His argument is a valid one, regarding the fact that infant determinism overrates the importance of first two years in a person’s whole lifetime. As Kagan argues, infant determinism is rather a political theory that conceals the effect of social class on development (Kagan, 1998, p.89). People who advocate infant determinism says that interactive play and secure attachment between a mother and a baby during the very early years are what lead to well-being in adulthood (Waters and Cummings, 2000, p.164). By assuming that the first two years determine the rest of the development, infant determinism blocks the possibility of society being the major influence on human development. It puts less emphasis on the impact of social interactions that a person goes through for his or her lifetime. However, human is a social animal: how can the first two years, such a mere amount of time for any perceptive socialization, be accounted for the rest of the life? Kagan argues it is not until five to seven years old when a child starts to learn some social responsibilities (Kagan, 1998, p.109). Moreover, our brain and mind are not a closed system: Kagan says, “the brain is still growing for the first two years of life” (Kagan, 1998, p.115). It is influenced constantly by various outside factors and is shaped gradually. Therefore it is the interpretation of on-going experiences that affects the development. By interpretation it means learning about social environment, broadening perception toward the world and recognizing one’s identity, which all will greatly influence the development. According to Kagan, children begin to interpret their experiences in the third or fourth years (Kagan, 1998, p.113). From that time the memories are likely to last: experiences in the first two years are hardly recallable in adulthood (Kagan, 1998, p.115). Yet the reason that infant determinism is popular is because it covers up the problems that come from social class membership (Kagan, 1998, p.147). Kagan points out, “Those who favor infant determinism do not award sufficient power to the events of the later childhood and adolescence, many of which are correlated to social class” (Kagan, 1998, p.147). Although the foundation of today’s society is based on the idea of everybody being equal, differences in social class and socioeconomic status are inevitable. All men being equal only exist in theory: in the real social structure there exists lower working class, middle class, and upper class. A person’s perception and development is largely influenced by the experience that comes from this social structure. People living in poverty are more likely to experience greater amount of hardships and less amount of education than others do, and these conditions tend to continue. Kagan emphasizes the impact of this “continuity” on one’s life: he says the reason for high rate of adult morbidity in lower class, for example, is because of the continuity of the poor living condition over the many years (Kagan, 1998, p.128). However, discussing the existing inequality between social classes is such a sensitive issue. It is hard to relate all the unpleasant outcomes to the differences in behavior in social classes when everyone is supposed to be equal and well. Therefore, if there are differences between children of upper class and lower class, blaming the past is easier than blaming the social class itself. Kagan argues, “Though a child’s social class is the best predictor of future vocation, academic accomplishments, and psychiatric health, Americans wish to believe that their society is open and egalitarian, without rigid class There is no doubt that infants should get affectionate care from their parents. However, waiting for them ahead is the complex socialization and interaction between other social factors, which will greatly influence their development. This development also depends on which social class the children belong to. Because it is the continuity of events that shapes one’s perception, experiences that correspond to one’s social class, as well as how they are interpreted, will directly affect later development (Kagan, 1998, p.128). Considering the amount of time and various events that children will be going through for their lifetime, events in the first two years are rather insufficient to determine the whole course of later development. Bibliography: Kagan, J. "The Allure of Infant Determinism." Three Seductive Ideas. Cambridge, MA: Havard Univ Press (1998). 84-150 Word Count: 800
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