2-009 - "WEIRD" childrearing? A cross-cultural examination of caregiver-child interaction from infancy through early childhood

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Child socialization is a widely studied topic in developmental science, yet the majority of this research examines populations from Western, Educated, Industrial, Rich and Democratic (WEIRD) backgrounds (Henrich, Heine, & Norenzayan, 2010). In spite of the recognition that these populations are not representative of human culture more globally, there is a dearth of systematic cross-cultural accounts of caregiver-child behavior and socialization.

This symposium addresses this gap in the literature by presenting research on child socialization from two non-Western cultures: Ni-Vanuatu (papers 1 & 4) and Mayan populations (papers 2 & 3). The four studies in the symposium provide an in-depth evaluation of interaction styles and social learning outcomes in each culture by comparing the behavior of caregivers and children in these non-Western contexts with that of their U.S. counterparts. Moreover, this symposium examines adult-child interaction throughout ontogeny by highlighting the socialization of unique age groups, from infants (paper 1) to primary school-aged children (paper 4).

The first paper explores infant-caregiver interaction with a novel object in Vanuatu and the U.S. and presents evidence that patterns of interaction differ significantly across cultures. The second paper questions the ubiquity of child-directed teaching and demonstrates that Mayan toddler’s learning is not aided by direct instruction. The third paper describes two patterns of interaction across Mayan and US cultures - fluid engagement as an ensemble versus engaging in divided activities. The fourth paper examines differences in caregiver-child interaction in the U.S. and Vanuatu during a problem-solving task, highlighting distinct expectations for how children learn.

Sub Unit

• Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Chair

• Jennifer Marie Clegg, University of Texas at Austin

Individual Presentations

• “WEIRD” parenting: Cultural variation in triadic infant-caregiver object exploration - Presenting Author: Emily Elysia Little, University of California, San Diego; Leslie Jeanette Carver, Univ of California San Diego; Cristine H. Legare, University of Texas at Austin

• Pedagogy and early social learning: Evidence from Yucatec Mayan and U.S. children - Presenting Author: Laura Shneidman, University of Chicago; Suzanne Gaskins, N/A; Amanda Woodward, University of Chicago

• Cultural patterns of interaction: Fluid engagement as an ensemble versus divided activities - Presenting Author: Barbara Rogoff, University of California, Santa Cruz; Andrew Dayton, Univ of California Santa Cruz; Lucia Alcala, University of California, Santa Cruz

• Putting the pieces together: A cross-cultural examination of caregiver-child interaction during a problem-solving task - Presenting Author: Jennifer Marie Clegg, University of Texas at Austin; Nicole Wen, University of Texas at Austin; Paige Hartman, Auburn University; Cristine H. Legare, University of Texas at Austin