Instructional Ribbing as a Cultural Practice for Guiding Children

Abstract

Valued cultural practices of marginalized communities are often critiqued by dominant cultural communities. In this study, US Mexican-heritage mothers who had experience in Indigenous ways (and limited schooling and parenting classes) espoused<i> instructional ribbing –</i>a cultural practice involving indirectly guiding children’s behavior through mock threats or lighthearted teasing to help them see how their misbehavior impacts others – as a positive, familiar practice that encourages active learning. However, European American mothers were very critical. Indications of cultural change came from US Mexican-heritage mothers with experience in two cultural systems – Western schooling/parenting classes and Indigenous ways. Half viewed instructional ribbing positively, and half were negative and often referred to what they learned in parenting classes as a source of their change from prior generations. The value of instructional ribbing in some communities may be undermined by experience in dominant cultural systems where its familial and communal value and supports are not understood.

What does it mean to belong? An interdisciplinary integration of theory and research on belonging

“…What this fluidity illuminates is how moving through and between different spaces can create different experiences of belonging depending on how those spaces work to include/exclude social realities (Anzaldúa, 1987(Anzaldúa, /2012Benet-Martínez & Haritatos, 2005;Fine & Sirin, 2007;Lugones, 1996). For example, exchanges of teasing within a learning space can be considered an affectionate act that encourages active learning (Rogoff, 2014;Silva & Rogoff, 2021) or an act of aggression that undermines learning (Casanova et al, 2018;Kovats Sánchez et al, 2022). Antonsich (2010) offers six factors that generate this personal, intimate feeling of place-belongingness.…”

The key role of community inLearning by Observing and Pitching Into family and community endeavours (El papel clave de la comunidad enAprender por medio de Observar y Acomedirseen las actividades de la familia y la comunidad)

“…when a child has not helped out. Or a correction may be very subtle and lightened with laughter or instructional ribbing (Martínez-Pérez, 2022, this volume;Silva & Rogoff, 2020).…”

“…', cuando el niño o la niña no ayudó. O una corrección puede ser muy sutil, aligerada con algunas risas o bromas instructivas (Martínez-Pérez, 2022, este número; Silva & Rogoff, 2020).…”

“…A correction may take the form of a scolding, for example, ‘Why can’t you be acomedida/o like your cousin?’ when a child has not helped out. Or a correction may be very subtle and lightened with laughter or instructional ribbing (Martínez-Pérez, 2022, this volume; Silva & Rogoff, 2020).…”

The role of laughter in correcting the efforts of learners in daily activities (El papel de la risa para corregir los esfuerzos de los aprendices en actividades cotidianas)

“…This was accompanied with laughter to signal that she was not seriously going to hit him, but it was a way to persuade the boy to perform the task well. Similarly, immigrant families in the US originally from indigenous regions of Mexico value the use of what Silva and Rogoff (2013) called 'instructional ribbing' to playfully correct a child who behaves badly.…”