Micronesian Parents' Perspectives on Early Childhood Development

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 20
  In Roundtable Session: Parental Perspectives and Personal Development of Filipino and Pacific Americans

Abstract

Child development has been studied primarily in Western cultures. Culture provides a context for parent cognitions and behaviors often unrecognized by Western education professionals. We interviewed 20 Chuukese and Marshallese adults about their perceptions of early child development in the context of their cultures. Responses grouped into the three planes of Rogoff’s (2003) sociocultural theory: personal, interpersonal and cultural-institutional. Parents discussed child development in terms of nutrition for the child and mother, local medicine practices, and their own methods of observing children’s physical growth. They also emphasized the importance of trusting family relationships. Educators and services agencies can use these insights to further understand Chuukese and Marshallese cultures as they work with students and families from these island regions.

Authors

• Victoria Timmerman, University of Hawaii - Manoa

• Katherine T. Ratliffe, University of Hawaii