Including material from: Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod Child Development and Education, 3rd edition, 2007 Copyright ©2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved. Family, Culture, & Community

Contexts of Child Development Children’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..