From a biopsychosocial perspective on human development, this essay review introduces a model linking social changes at the macro level with individual development at the micro level. German unification and the globalization of economy that followed are taken as a case in point for social changes that have affected the lives of many. It is argued that social change cascades down to the individual level through various contexts of development where it is manifested in terms of demands individuals have to negotiate. Empirical examples from recent research on the process and results of this negotiation are provided.