Robert L. Selman

Robert L. Selman, professor of education and psychology at Harvard University, will write a book based on his studies of the way young people growing up under difficult life circumstances (such as dysfunctional families, neighborhood poverty, and social prejudice) learn how to relate to others. Selman defines the essence of "social competence" as the ability to coordinate one's own perspective with that of others, through mutual understanding and negotiation. His work combines developmental psychology, ethnography, and extensive practical experience of implementing initiatives in schools to promote children's ability to form good social relations with others.