Development of cultural behaviors

"In the process of development the child not only masters the items of cultural experience but the habits and forms of cultural behaviour, the cultural methods of reasoning. We must, therefore, distinguish the main lines in the development of the child’s behaviour."
(Vygotsky, 1929)

According to the Vygostsky stream, we must assume that the cultural development consists in mastering methods of behavior. He stated that children learn the methods of cultural development applying signs as a means of accomplishing any social-cultural-psychological operation.

In order to understand the process of cultural development, Vygotsky introduced the concept of children`s primitiveness, in which some lines of organic maturement, language development logical reasoning skills and memory development have been drawn as important elements in the acquisition process of these cultural behaviors.

Regarding to the Children`primitiveness conception, Vygostky alerted the reader to put appart the idea of "primitive" from the idea of "weak-mindedness". So, we will be able to understand that the children` primitiveness refers to a delay in cultural development, due to external and internal factors such as development and social experiences.They have not mastered the cultural means of behavior, as the language it self.

The argument that holds the idea of children`s primitiveness is also presented by Piaget but differently, he argued that the difference between the adult and the child in terms of thinking, is qualitative rather than quantitative. Piaget through his positive approach was concentrated in what characteristics of thought the child has instead of what characteristics is the child lacking besides the adult.

As a consequence, depending on the external and internal factors involved in the cultural process this behavioral development might follow a quite different path for each case.

"In the process of development we can trace that qualitative change in the form of behaviour and the transformation of some such forms into others." (Vygotsky, 1929).
As a conclusion, there is an improvement or evolution of these cultural behaviors as well as the organic growth and the social life are well developed and properly stimulated.

References
Vygotski, L. S. 1929: The problem of the cultural development of the child II. Journal of Genetc Psychology, 36, 415-32