Book•
The Spiritual Life of Children
01 Jan 1990-
TL;DR: In this article, Coles interviews children alone and in groups, listening and participating in their reflections and conversations, and interviews various races and religions, including chapters on Christian, Jewish, Islamic and secular children in America, the UK, Tunisia and Israel.
Abstract: My Personal Review: I read this book from a point-of-view more interested from a theological than psychological (not that these have to be kept separate), and I suspect that EVERYONE who studies theology could benefit from listening to children describe their own spiritualities. Coles narration is occasionally insightful, occasionally annoying, always self-conscious. He interviews children alone and in groups, listening and participating in their reflections and conversations. He interviews various races and religions, including chapters on Christian, Jewish, Islamic and secular children in America, the UK, Tunisia and Israel. I found his interviews with Hopi children very provocative. The book has both intellectual and spiritual value, and I hope it is read more widely than it has been.
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TL;DR: In this paper, the universals in the content and structure of values, concentrating on the theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries, and its four basic issues: substantive contents of human values; identification of comprehensive set of values; extent to which the meaning of particular values was equivalent for different groups of people; and how the relations among different values was structured.
Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter addresses the universals in the content and structure of values, concentrating on the theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries, and its four basic issues: substantive contents of human values; identification of comprehensive set of values; extent to which the meaning of particular values was equivalent for different groups of people; and how the relations among different values was structured. Substantial progress has been made toward resolving each of these issues. Ten motivationally distinct value types that were likely to be recognized within and across cultures and used to form value priorities were identified. Set of value types that was relatively comprehensive, encompassing virtually all the types of values to which individuals attribute at least moderate importance as criteria of evaluation was demonstrated. The evidence from 20 countries was assembled, showing that the meaning of the value types and most of the single values that constitute them was reasonably equivalent across most groups. Two basic dimensions that organize value systems into an integrated motivational structure with consistent value conflicts and compatibilities were discovered. By identifying universal aspects of value content and structure, the chapter has laid the foundations for investigating culture-specific aspects in the future.
12,151 citations
Cites background from "The Spiritual Life of Children"
...If answering the question of ultimate meaning is a basic human need (Coles, 1990; Niebuhr, 1935; King, 1954), then spirituality values may constitute another universal type....
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that spiritual development is understudied, a complex, multifaceted concept, grounded in a human propensity, overlaps with and includes many aspects of religious development, and a developmental process that is shaped by both individual capacities and ecological influences.
Abstract: Sustained attention to spiritual development during childhood and adolescence in the social and developmental sciences has the potential to significantly enrich and strengthen the understanding of the core processes and dimensions of human development. This article seeks to set the stage for such an inquiry by exploring 6 themes for building a multifaceted agenda. It argues that spiritual development is (a) understudied; (b) a complex, multifaceted concept; (c) grounded in a human propensity; (d) overlaps with and includes many aspects of religious development; (e) a developmental process that is shaped by both individual capacities and ecological influences; and (f) a potentially powerful resource for positive human development.
345 citations
Book•
30 Jul 1998
TL;DR: A historical perspective on children's drawings can be found in this paper, with a focus on the relationship between children and their drawings and their relationships with their drawings in the context of children's drawings.
Abstract: 1. A Historical Perspective on Children's Drawings 2. Children's Drawings in Context 3. Working with Children and Their Drawings 4. Developmental Aspects of Children's Drawings 5. Emotional Content of Children's Drawings 6. Interpersonal Aspects of Children's Drawings 7. Somatic and Spiritual Aspects of Children's Drawings 8. Ethical Considerations and Children's Drawings Appendix: Materials and Resources.
340 citations
Cites background from "The Spiritual Life of Children"
...Robert Coles’s (1990) extensive work with children and his explorations of children’s “spiritual lives” through both verbal interviews and drawings has renewed interest and curiosity in understanding children’s perceptions and expressions of spiritual experiences....
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...Viktor Lowenfeld (1947; Lowenfeld & Brittain, 1982), one of the most widely read art educators of this century, noted that children’s intellectual growth was connected to creative development and delineated a well-known sequence of predictable stages of artistic development in children, a continuation of earlier work on the subject by Cooke (1885), Burt (1921), and others....
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01 Jan 2005
309 citations
TL;DR: In a recent special issue of The Journal of Community Psychology as discussed by the authors, a series of first-rate research reports on the community, family, and individual dynamics of violence and trauma in the lives of children and youth are presented.
Abstract: This special issue of The Journal of Community Psychology contains a series of first-rate research reports on the community, family, and individual dynamics of violence and trauma in the lives of children and youth. Many of the authors are genuine pioneers in this field, and their work is both informative and thought provoking. From settings in the United States—e.g., Illinois, Oregon, Iowa, and New York—to countries around the world—e.g., Chile, Canada, Palestine, and England—these researchers have brought their considerable skills and talents to bear in understanding how context shapes the processes through which violence and trauma shape development. Reading their work stimulates some thoughts on my part. These thoughts are the focus of this commentary. The authors of an excellent edited volume on the mental health issues of children in war entitled their book Minefields in Their Hearts ~Apfel & Simon, 1996!. This image captures the basic truth that war presents children and youth with serious developmental challenges, challenges that if unmet can lead to disaster. This much is clear. Children have been involved directly in the prosecution of war in extraordinary and increasing numbers throughout the 20th century. UNICEF estimates that whereas in 1900 the ratio of civilian to military casualties was about 1:9, in recent decades this pattern has reversed, and now stands at approximately 8:1 ~civilians to solders!. Children constitute a significant proportion of these civilian casualties. This shift reflects the changing nature of war. The technology of war-making increasingly emphasizes anti-personnel weapons that do not target specific individuals, and indiscriminate bombing and shelling, while the strategy of war increasingly emphasizes attacks on civilian infrastructure ~whether it be in the saturation bombing of “conventional war” or the struggle for the “hearts and minds” of the population characteristic of insurgency-counter insurgency operations!. An understanding of the impact of war on children and youth is practically important in a large number of societies around the world, including countries which do not have overt war within their borders but do accept numerous refugees coming
212 citations