The Role of Culture in Social Development Over the Life Span: An Interpersonal Relations Approach

This article aims to illustrate the role of culture for individual development throughout the life
span. First, theoretical approaches how culture affects the ontogenesis is presented, starting
from early anthropological to recent eco-cultural and culture-informed approaches. Then,
culture-specific conceptualizations of development over the life span are discussed, focusing
on development in childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age. Finally, we concentrate
on selected areas of social development and report on recent studies on subjective theories,
transmissions of values, and intergenerational relations. These studies are discussed as
aspects of a more extended interpersonal relations approach to development within culture.