Cultural Pathways through Human Development

Making the implicit explicit: Supporting teachers to bridge cultures

“…Criticisms of the framework notwithstanding (see Greenfield et al, 2006), we have found it to be an excellent starting point in moving educators toward understanding that differences in underlying value systems may be associated with certain cross-cultural conflicts in the school (Trumbull, Diaz-Meza, Hasan, & Rothstein-Fisch, 2001). The framework is concise: many important features of cultures can be understood as clustering together to represent an individualistic or collectivistic perspective.…”

“…Nevertheless, patterns in the relative emphasis placed on one or another set of values are identifiable. Individualism and collectivism are associated with different child-rearing goals, norms of communication, notions of social roles, and concepts of development, learning, and schooling (Greenfield et al, 2006).…”

“…For many immigrant families, this may be the first time a non-relative, with values and socialization beliefs different from those of the home, cares for the child. Cultural conflicts can occur over feeding, sleeping, toileting, separation, and play (Greenfield et al, 2006;Zepeda et al, 2006). Without explicit knowledge on the part of caregivers and teachers, the youngest children are likely to be torn between socialization practices of home and those of the early childhood program.…”

“…Their parents may be unfamiliar with education in the United States, specifically how it is carried out and what will be expected of them and their children. At least as important, but less readily understood, is how fundamental differences in culture-based beliefs about child development and learning may guide different expectations for children on the part of parents and teachers (Goldenberg & Gallimore, 1995;Greenfield, Suzuki, & Rothstein-Fisch, 2006). These factors-language, unfamiliar educational contexts, and cultural differences-come into play, whether immigrant children first enter preschool or elementary school.…”

The neglected 95%: Why American psychology needs to become less American.

“…Gender roles in cultures in developing countries tend to be more strictly delineated than those in OECD countries, and after early childhood, males and females often live in largely separate spheres (Gilmore, 1990;Kent & Haub, 2005). These and other findings of the range and importance of cultural variations in human populations have been reported for years, often by American psychologists (e.g., Greenfield et al, 2006;Heine & Norenzayan, 2006;Kitayama & Cohen, 2006;Miller, 2006;Rogoff, 2003). Yet, as the above journal analysis shows, this current still has a limited presence in the mainstream of the dominant APA journals.…”