cultural perspective

Question 1

What is caregiving?

Answer 1

It is interpreting and responding to signals the child gives and involving them in social interactions

(This can be strongly influenced by culture)

(But even the cultural aspect of caregiving can be seen as part of a reproductive strategy. Think fast/slow life history theory)

Question 2

What is the phenomenon called, where a parent behaves unconsciously (not learned) towards a child?

Answer 2

It is called intuitive parenting

Question 3

What is intuitive parenting and which family of developmental theory does it belong to?

Answer 3

It is when the parent behaves towards the child in a way that is subconscious and does not have to be learned.

It belongs to the family of biological/evolutionary psychology, because it is predetermined

Question 4

How do ecocultural theories look at childrearing?

Answer 4

In contrast to the biological/evolutionary theories it looks at childrearing as a adaptive to the demands of the physical and social environment.

Question 5

How does the cultural mediation theory look at childrearing?

Answer 5

It mixes, biology, environment and culture together.

It looks at biology defining limitations (for infant and parent)
The environment defines the economic conditions of the family
The society/culture defines models, of how it could be lived.

Question 6

What did research show about the connection between the style of childrearing and the “subsistence economy”?

Answer 6

They found out by researching many countries, the way the child is brought up can be connected to the way the society collects food.

Hunter gatherer societies (high food scarcity) raise their children with focus on self-reliance, initiative and independence.

Agricultural societies (high food abundance) raise their children with focus on obedience and responsibility

The researchers were Barry, Child and Bacon.

The study was published in 1959

Question 7

What are the primary, secondary and tertiary goals of raising children?

How is this important from an intercultural perspective?

Answer 7

The primary goal of raising a child is its health and survival

The secondary goal is to embed them into the family structure for securing food (and survival)

The tertiary goal is to integrate them into the culture to sustain its self. This means social norms and reproduction

This is important, because different cultures solve these goals in different ways, which are adaptive to their unique situation.

Question 8

What is the definition of a developmental niche?

Answer 8

It is a cultural learning environment for a child.

It has 3 facets:

1. Modification to the physical and social setting
2. Customs and norms of practices
3. Psychology of the caretakers

Question 9

What is Kellers System of Caregiving?

Answer 9

It has 6 facets:

1. Primary care (physical needs)
2. Body contact (belonging)
3. Body stimulation (motor&perceptional)
4. Object stimulation (knowledge&exploration)
5. Face2Face (emotional sensitivity)
6. Narrative envelope (Understanding)

Each culture has different combination of focus on these.
They can be seen as purposefully (early walking,

Question 10

What are the different types of caregiver styles according to Kellers System of Caregiving?

Answer 10

• The distal style:
  Face2Face, Object related
  -> Independence focus
• Proximal style:
  BodyContact, Body stimulation
  -> Interdependence focus
• Minimal style:
  Constraints lead to reduction on all dimensions
  -> Survival focus

Question 11

What are the characteristics of the distal parenting style?

(Keller)

Answer 11

• Face2Face contact
• Object stimulation
• Psychological autonomy
• Freely chosen relationships
• Individual goals
• “Know what you want”
• It is best for fast changing environments
• Few caregivers
• Relation to parents

Question 12

What are the characteristics of the proximal parenting style?

(Keller)

Answer 12

• Body stimulation
• Body contact
• Hierarchical relationships
• Communal goals
• “Know what we want”
• Its best for stable environments
• Many caregivers (distributed)
• Relation to other children

Question 13

Why are infant emotions important when raising a child?

Answer 13

They can help understand the infants needs and enable communication between the parent and child.

Question 14

What are the four hypothesis for attachment in developmental psychology?

And what do they explain?

Answer 14

1. Secure Base
2. Sensitivity Hypothesis
3. Normativity hypothesis
4. Competence hypothesis

They explain with whom and why attachments form and what their consequences are

Question 15

What is the Secure Base hypothesis for attachment in developmental psychology?

Answer 15

It is an automatic attachment to something/someone that/who provides comfort. It does not have to be to just one person (mother), but can be multiple people

Sometimes called universality hypothesis

Question 16

What is the sensitivity hypothesis for attachment in developmental psychology?

Answer 16

Sensitivity is at the core of developing attachment styles. Good sensitivity -> good attachment style/more stable

Metastudies have shown, that it has a moderately strong effect

It also is centered around the idea of the baby having individual needs -> very western!

Question 17

Do cultures vary in their way of parenting?

Is there a natural way of parenting?

Answer 17

Cultures do vary, and they might look at each others style of parenting differently.

But humans have an innate tendency of wanting to tend to their child.

Question 18

What is the normativity hypothesis for attachment in developmental psychology?

Answer 18

When an environment is not threatening to the child, it will develop a secure attachment

This looks at all attachment styles adaptive to another environment.

Question 19

What is the methodical problem with the strange situation?

Answer 19

It has low ecological validity.

In some cultures this is much more uncommon than in other cultures

Question 19

What is the competency hypothesis for attachment in developmental psychology?

Answer 19

Sensitive caregiving and secure attachment lead to good developmental outcomes.

-> Higher competency when meeting challenges

Question 19

What might be a reason for that some cultures do not prioretize attachment with infants?

Answer 19

High child mortality because of illness.

Focus on participating in work, makes them “useless” and therefore not important to form a bond with.

Question 20

The idea that early attachment style is connected to later attachement style is build on which assumption?

Answer 20

That the child has a stable internal working model of the relationships that is learned. inearly childhood.

It only changes under unusual conditions (negative life events)

Question 20

What is a cultural view on the “secure attachment style”?

Answer 20

An attachment style, which is adapted to the cultural norms regarding:

1. Proximity seeking
2. Distress at seperation
3. Joy at reunion
4. Exploration from the (secure) base

(Bowlby)

Question 20

What is weaning?

Answer 20

The time when breast milk is no longer offered and other foods are being introduced

Cross cultural average: 2,5 years
Single mothers wean earlier in industrialized countries
WHO recommends for at least 6 months

Question 21

What is the definition of guided participation?

Answer 21

Structuring the toddlers’ participation in activities in a way that bridges understanding mutually and that of their caregivers.

This means caretakers explore the environment together with the child

In contrast; Attachment theory looks at the child exploring alone and then returning.

Question 22

What is the consequence of late weaning?

Answer 22

It costs the mother more resources and decreases fertility, but gives the child a better immune system and nutrients.