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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 October 2015
There is a certain conceit in believing that a contemporary perspective represents the highest point of development in a field. Present-day views of development have their origins in the historical and cultural contexts of earlier eras, and it is possible to trace the cyclical waxing and waning of developmental perspectives across the centuries priorto the present “scientific” era in the field. Throughout history, cultures have varied in the significance they place on age and the relationship between age and the stages of development. For example, the stages that contemporary Western societies take for granted, such as infancy, childhood, and adolescence have changed their meaning and significance considerably over the centuries (Aries, 1962).