Culture Identity and Wellbeing in Children Context Migration

Culture, Identity and Wellbeing in Children

Context • Migration: universal phenomenon • Unprecedented there is an increase in internal/ external migration • Ireland today: dynamic multicultural society compared to Ireland of twenty years ago • Globally: Rapid social change Positive and negative results Differential effects on the poor

Why cultural identity and wellbeing? • Cultural influences on child development and behaviour • Only a little scholarly work on cultural identity and links to wellbeing has been done to date as it is in may ways an emerging phenomenon • Emerging literature about protective role of ethnic identity needs to be studied and learnt from

Culture • We need to look at culture in different contexts : as pattern of living, customs, traditions, values, attitudes • as significant artistic/humanitarian/scientific achievement of the group • as “race consciousness” -guide individual identification • as values, norms of the immediate context (eg of the family, streets, etc) • as refers to superficial differences between macro and micro groups (ie clothing, music, speech) • as refers to outer appearance (“culturally different”)

Distinctions: racial and ethnic identity Identity models Race is usually seen as biological, referring to the physical characteristics of a person, while ethnicity is viewed as a social science construct that describes a person's cultural identity.

Acculturation Those phenomena which result when groups of individuals with different cultures come into continuous first hand contact; subsequent changes in both groups (Redfield et al, 1936)

So how does this relate to Childrearing. . . And child development, behaviour?

Child Development in itself is Complex…. • Change is constant as the child develops • Differences between each stage is the norm • Keeping a context to each stage is the key to understanding children

Culture is also Complex! • Change is constant within cultures as they attempt to live in a new society Change is needed for people of different cultures to learn to live together • Difference is the norm, new migrants are surrounded by a different world.

• Each culture has their unique way of rearing children and this uniques must be embraced and respected • Keeping the uniqueness of each culture in context is central • Children needed to be viewed in the context of their culture to be understood

Where does that leave us? • Examining children and development in their cultural context is the key to successfully supporting them • Not doing so leads to difficulties in behaviour, disorder, illness and in the longterm mental health, • Need to consider multiple levels to support child development: family, school, peers, society, health services

Culture and child development “The biological immaturity of children is the only fact with any certainty that can be said about children’s development. ” (Timimi , S. 2005)

Parenting is a universal, but highly variable behaviour Feeding sleeping discipline and moral reasoning toilet training teaching communicating giving affection

It is known that childrearing practices influence the rate and expression of children’s development

Not all children develop according to the commonly used guidelines: • Motor development in African infants who sit, crawl and walk at least two months earlier than caucasian infants • Fine motor development but delayed walking of Yucatecan Mexican infants compared to US norms (Solomons and Solomons, 1975) • Slight motor delay of Mayan Indian infants compared to US norms (Brazelton, 1972)

Cultural Differences in Skill and Behaviour Early motor development Obedience Toilet training Verbal Skills Temperament Feeding Crying Independence Learning Sleeping

Early Emotional Learning in Infants: A Cross-Cultural Examination • Emotional and interactive behavior learnt in the 1 st year of life: • much of this learning takes place subcortically • 2 widely divergent parental models: Pedagogic Child centred

Cultural differences in Parental Goals • Pedagogic: major goals are for children to learn to feel emotionally independent from their parents and to develop interactive and language skills Child-centred: a model in which the most important goal is protecting the health and survival of the infant

Pedagogic Model

Pedagogic Model (Western model) • Independence and Sleeping Patterns infants in their own beds and often in their own rooms lack of co-sleeping • Other Separation relatively tolerant of other separations: eg infants left with unrelated nonresident babysitters, weekend away • Verbalizing and face to face interaction parents believe infants are active participants in interactions they talk to, look at, smile at and interact with infants from birth emphasis on verbal interaction, emphasis on physical contact • Consoling mothers relatively tolerant of infant crying

Child-Centred Model

Child Centred Model: largely nonwestern • Independence and Sleeping Patterns Co-sleeping and breastfeeding on demand • High physical contact • Consoling respond rapidly to crying, high rates of holding and touching increased holding by mothers tends to result in infants who cry less • Verbalizing and face to face interaction do not typically talk to their infants extensively do not see infants as capable of communicating or of understanding language do not engage in stimulating face-to-face interactions

Cultural differences in Goals of Development • Western world: career, marriage, house, car, TV • Traditional (Aboriginal): achieving full tribal status • Immigrant families: children better off than parents, security, pride in children’s success • Factors influencing Parents own status Migration story: refugee, economic, push/pull factors Religious affiliations Political environment Gender

Contrasting Cultural Practices: Communication Mainstream Non-Western Adults have “conversations” with young infants. Adults endow the smallest vocalisations of the baby with meaning and intentionality, and react to them emotionally. Children learn language primarily through eavesdropping and observing. Adults usually do not “talk with” young infants. There is an emphasis on direct, verbal learning for infants. There is an emphasis on nonverbal, observational learning for infants. Shanti Raman

Contrasting Cultural Practices Mainstream Non-Western Babies spend a lot of time by themselves – sleeping in separate rooms, and amusing themselves in playpens – and learn to use verbal communication to get the attention of adults, e. g. calling out to the parent or caregiver out of necessity. self- Adults encourage infants to learn self-feeding, even if learning to feed means making a mess. Babies are often in close physical contact with the parents or caregivers. These babies learn to use nonverbal communication such as gestures with their hands or changes in muscle tone or posture to get their needs met. During feeding the adult’s primary purpose may be to ensure that the child eats an adequate meal with the minimum amount of waste or mess. Shanti Raman

Contrasting Cultural Practices Non-Western Mainstream mature to Toilet training typically occurs when the child is physically and able to talk. The child learns through becoming increasingly dependent Toilet training is introduced when the child is quite young. The child learns through being cooperative in a partnership with the parent Children are provided with a scaleddown version of adult activities. During interactions in such activities the parent adjusts speech and actions the child’s level of skill and understanding. Children learn about adult activities by being present as adults go about their jobs and household tasks. Children have responsibility to learn culturally valued behaviours and practices by observing adults. Shanti Raman

What about psychological wellbeing?

Where does that leave us? • Culture, Identity, Wellbeing, Development…. . complex+++ • Comprehensive assessment of effects of culture on children’s wellbeing may not be possible but worth giving a shot • Need to consider multiple levels: family, school, peers, society, health services also age, gender and language

Recommendations: • Acknowledge importance of culture in children’s behaviour and development • Understand benefits of cultural capital • Assessment of cultural identity: language use cultural practices and pride Perceived prejudice/discrimination religious affiliation socialisation with in-group

• References: • Robert Redfield, H. R. (1936). MEMORANDUM FOR THE STUDY OF ACCULTURATION. Americian Anthropologist , 149 -152. • Timimi, S. (2005). Naughty boys, Anti social behavior, ADHD and the role of Culture. New York: Palgrave Mac. Millan. • Motor development in Yucatecan infants. Solomons G, et al. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1975 Feb; 17(1): 41 -6. • Solomon G, S. H. (1975). Motor Development in Yucatecan Infants. Developmental Medical Child Neurology , 41 -46. • Brazelton, T. (1972). Implications of Infant Development Among the Mayan Indians of Mexico. Human Development , 90 -111. • Le Vine et al (1994, ) Child care and culture: Lessons from Africa. Cambridge University Press.