Including material from:Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis OrmrodChild Development and Education, 3rd edition, 2007

Copyright ©2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458

All rights reserved.

Family, Culture, & Community

Contexts of Child DevelopmentChildren’s psychological growth is nurtured in three contexts: Families care for children; parents usually responsible for guiding

children’s experiences. Culture gives meaning to children’s lives Community connects children to external social contacts and

resources

Socialization – the efforts of people and institutions to guide children to behave appropriately, according to society’s standards (e.g, explicit and implicit)

Culture – behaviors and beliefs about what is true, healthy, appropriate, and rational; includes the everyday household activities, traditions, and holiday celebrations of a long-standing group of people (also can include Attention and Language Use)

Community – the local neighborhood and surrounding vicinity

Family Processes Family processes - the influential practices that families

have with one another that guide children’s social and interpersonal skills with authority, peers, and at school

Families’ Influences on Children

Guided participation - (Rogoff, 1990, 2003) (p. 159) Active engagement in adult activities, typically with considerable directions and structure from an adult or other more advanced individual; children are given increasing responsibility and independence as they gain experience and proficiency.

Parenting Styles (Baumrind, 1967, 1971, 1980, 1989, 1991)

Authoritarian Authoritative Permissive (Uninvolved)

Dimensions of Affection & Discipline U.S. children appear to benefit from authoritative

parenting and teaching styles However, cultural aspects may vary parenting styles and

their effects; e.g., Asian American families’ demand for obedience is in the context of close, supportive relationships; positive outcomes within some Authoritarian African-American families

Family Influences on Children: Parenting Styles (Authoritarian)

Description of Parents: Convey relatively little emotional

warmth Hold high expectations for their

children’s behaviors Establish rules of behavior without

regard for children’s needs Expect rules to be obeyed without

question Allow little give-and-take in parent-

child discussions

Children’s Typical Characteristics:

Family Influences on Children: Parenting Styles (Authoritative)

Description of Parents: Provide supportive home

environment Hold high expectations for their

children’s behaviors Enforce household rules

consistently Explain why some behaviors are

acceptable and others are not Include children in family decision

making

Children’s Typical Characteristics:

Family Influences on Children: Parenting Styles (Permissive)

Description of Parents: Provide a loving, supportive

home environment Hold few expectations or

standards for their children's behavior

Rarely punish inappropriate behavior

Allow their children to make many of their own decisions

Children’s Typical Characteristics:

Family Influences on Children: Parenting Styles (Uninvolved)

Description of Parents: Provide little if any emotional

support for their children Hold few expectations or standards

for their children's behavior Have little interest in their children's

lives Seem overwhelmed by their own

problems

Children’s Typical Characteristics:

Children’s Influences on Families

Reciprocal influences

Children’s personalities, temperaments, and natural talents affect the family routine, interactions, and experiences

Coregulation

Puberty triggers psychological distancing and adolescent seeks autonomy, both emotionally and behaviorally

Life in the Family and Community

Ethnicity Ethnicity – a child’s affiliation with a group of people

that share values, beliefs, behaviors, and ancestors (race, national origin, religious background)

Usually ethnicity refers to culture, while race refers to physical similarities (i.e., skin color or eye shape)

Multiethnic – claiming ancestry from more than one ethnic group

Values Obligation to family is important in many cultures, particularly in

Hispanic, Native American, and Asian cultures

School achievement is highly valued in Western culture Many Asian Americans attribute academic success to effort and

persistence Latino American cultures value interpersonal skills in their view of

success Native American and Polynesian cultures value success in art,

dance, and other traditions

Individualistic vs. Collectivist culture

.

Gender

Boys and girls are socialized differently in different cultures, i.e., European Americans

Encourage females to play with dolls and express emotion, while encouraging males to play with masculine toys and mask fear or sadness

Encourage household chores based on traditional male and female roles

More often enroll boys in gifted programs and competitive sports

Some African-American parents encourage both sons and daughters to be emotionally expressive; and that men and women can be powerful authority figures.

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