Walden University’s mission statement focuses on social change. (You can learn more about social change at Walden here: https://www.waldenu.edu/about/social-change.) When considering the relevance of social change with respect to social and emotional development, one can reflect on laws instituted by policymakers. As a practitioner in the field, being aware of the channels for communicating with civic leaders and knowing how to effectively use those channels are often important when working for social change. All institutions and groups—not just government entities—have their own politics, which can be thought of as a prevailing mind-set, an internal structure, and channels of influence and power. Being able to incorporate and negotiate these politics in support of social change requires finesse and sensitivity. Understanding this before engaging with others can be helpful, whether these others are legislators, local agencies and institutions, professional associations, neighborhoods, ad hoc teams, or professional colleagues. Power relationships also exist between those working for social change and those who are the primary beneficiaries. Mutual collaboration and power-sharing between the parties involved can empower all toward more lasting social change.

The purpose of this Discussion is to consider potential policy implications of the research that has been covered in this course.

To Prepare: Read the brief Social-Emotional Development in Early Childhood: What Every Policymaker Should Know from this week’s Learning Resources. Choose a current policy that could potentially be revised based on what you learned about social and emotional development in this course. By Day 4

Post a response to the following:

How do you think policymakers can and should take individual social and emotional development into consideration when writing policy? Briefly describe the policy you selected. Then explain how it could be revised based on what you learned about social and emotional development in this course. Be specific in your response, linking together current policy and current research in the area.

Currently
DPSY  Social  Week 11: Dying and Bereavement; Implications of Social and Emotional Development for Policy and Social ions of Social and  Week 11: Dying and Bereavement; Implications of Social and Emotional Development for Policy and Social ions of Social and Emotional Development  Learning  Students  Assess scholarly insights gained from studying social and emotional  Assess  Evaluate how research on social and emotional development can  Learning ResourcesTo  Course  section  Required Readings Cooper, J. L., Masi, R., & Vick, J. (2009). Social-emotional development in early childhood: What every policymaker should know. National Center for Children in Poverty [Brief]. Retrieved from http://www.nccp.org/publications/pdf/text_882.pdf Euthanasia Research & Guidance Organization. (2010). World laws on assisted suicide. Retrieved from http://www.finalexit.org/assisted_suicide_world_laws_page2.html Fontana, A., & Keene, J. (2009). The grieving process. In A. Fontana & J. Keene, Death and Dying in America (pp. 161–178). Cambridge, UK: Polity. Leming, M. R., & Dickinson, G. E. (2016). The American experience of death. In M. R. Leming & G. E. Dickinson, Understanding Dying, Death and Bereavement (8th ed., pp. 43–81). Stamford, CT: Cengage.
Understanding Death, Dying, and Bereavement, 8th Edition by Leming, M. R.; Dickinson, G. E. Copyright 2016 by South-Western College Publishing, A Division of Cengage Learning. Reprinted by permission of South-Western College Publishing, A Division of Cengage Learning via the Copyright Clearance Center.