Revisiting the African origins of attachment research—50 years on from Ainsworth: A descriptive review

Abstract

Culture plays a significant role in the variations observed in the manifestation, expression, and meaning of attachment behaviors. Africa is home to multiple cultures, with distinct organizations of caregiving relationships underlying the development of attachment. This review aims to consolidate knowledge about African attachment by describing studies of infant attachment conducted in Africa since Mary Ainsworth's Ugandan findings in 1967. Electronic databases were searched with the terms "Africa" ("attachment" or "bond") and "infant." Nine studies that assessed infant attachment style with self-report or observation methods were included, but spanned only five countries. The Strange Situation Procedure was most frequently used. Most studies described dyads living in peri-urban or township areas. Multiple socioeconomic factors affecting living conditions were identified, including, unemployment, financial difficulties, limited education, poor housing, single parenthood, lack of partner support, substance abuse, and depression. Overall distributions of attachment classification proportions appear consistent with global attachment-classification patterns. Despite adverse conditions, secure attachment was relatively widespread, and some populations had low rates of avoidant attachment. Relatively high rates of disorganized attachment were found when the category was included. Africa remains an understudied continent regarding infant attachment. The continent's cultural diversity may hold important truths necessary for understanding the complex relationship between infant and attachment figure. K E Y W O R D SAfrica, attachment, culture, infant attachment, parenting RESUMENLa cultura juega un papel significativo en las variaciones observadas en la manifestación, expresión y significado de los comportamientos de afectividad. África es hogar de múltiples culturas, con distintas organizaciones de relaciones de prestación de cuidados que resaltan el desarrollo de la afectividad. Esta revisión se propone consolidar el conocimiento acerca de la afectividad africana por medio de describir estudios de la afectividad infantil llevados a cabo en África desde los resultados que obtuvo Ainsworth en Uganda. Se buscó en los bancos de información electrónica los términos "África" ("afectividad" o "unión") e "infante." Se incluyeron nueve estudios que evaluaron el estilo de afectividad del infante con métodos de auto-reporte o de observación, pero se cubrió sólo cinco países. El Procedimiento de la Situación Extraña fue usado más Infant Ment Health J. 2019;40:799-816. © 2019 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health 799 wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/imhj M O T S C L É S Attachement, Afrique, culture, parentage, attachement du nourrisson ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Die Kultur spielt eine entscheidende Rolle bei der Varianz, die bezüglich der Manifestation, der Expression und der Bedeutung von Bindungsverhalten beobachtbar ist. In Afrika sind zahlreiche Kulturen beheimatet, in denen Kindesbetreuung, die Grundlage der Bindungsentwicklung, un...

Parental Reflective Functioning and Its Association With Parenting Behaviors in Infancy and Early Childhood: A Systematic Review

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It takes a village

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How Key Psychological Theories Can Enrich Our Understanding of Our Ancestors and Help Improve Mental Health for Present and Future Generations: A Family Historian’s Perspective

“…Although Ann's demeanor as described by Mary and Rene cannot be symptomatic of an alcohol use disorder, we can surmise that the emotional blows Ann received, and a likely insecure attachment style, diminished Ann's ability to cope with the tragic death of her first child. Given that children currently brought up in poverty are at an equal risk of forming an insecure or disorganized attachment as children who have been mistreated (Voges et al 2019), it would appear unlikely that Ann grew up with secure attachments. It would have been remarkable if Ann had avoided anxiety or depression, either or both of which could have been the precursor to her drinking, possibly triggered by postnatal depression or genetic inheritance (Prescott et al 2000, p. 808;Womersley et al 2021, pp.…”