Initiative in Helping as a Cultural Practice

• In Event: Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: Culturally Related Issues

Abstract

This study examines cultural differences in children’s initiative in helping an adult during an instructional activity and relates this to the extent to which they are reported to show initiative in contributing to family household work. Participants include 60 siblings pairs ages 6-10 of Mexican- and European-American heritage. A bilingual adult provides 18 scripted opportunities to help her during a solar printing project. Preliminary results suggest support for the prediction that U.S. Mexican-heritage siblings whose families likely have experience with Indigenous Mexican practices and little experience with Western schooling show more initiative in helping than U.S. European-heritage children and also report more initiative in helping at home.

Authors

• Angelica Lopez, Marymount California University

• Barbara Rogoff, University of California - Santa Cruz