The Necessity of Taking Culture and Context into Account When Studying the Relationship between Socioeconomic Status and Brain Development

Abstract

Decades of research has revealed a relationship between childhood socioeconomic status (SES) and brain development at the structural and functional levels. Of particular note is the distinction between income and maternal education, two highly correlated factors which seem to influence brain development through distinct pathways. Specifically, while a families’ income-to-needs ratio is linked with physiological stress and household chaos, caregiver education influences the day-to-day language environment a child is exposed to. Variability in either one of these environmental experiences is related to subsequent brain development. While this work has the potential to inform public policies in a way that benefits children, it can also oversimplify complex factors, unjustly blame low-SES parents, and perpetuate a harmful deficit perspective. To counteract these shortcomings, researchers must consider sociodemographic differences in the broader cultural context that underlie SES-based differences in brain development. This review aims to address these issues by (a) identifying how sociodemographic mechanisms associated with SES influence the day-to-day experiences of children, in turn, impacting brain development, while (b) considering the broader cultural contexts that may differentially impact this relationship.

Bridging the Divide: Understanding Language Beliefs and Practices among Caregivers in the Deep South to inform Culturally Responsive Interventions

“…While multigenerational homes can provide numerous communication partners, they may also lead to fewer one-on-one interactions. Research and intervention practices should therefore broaden the scope of language exposure to encompass input from primary caregivers as well as language exchanged among other family members such as siblings, aunts, uncles, and additional caregivers (Schneider, Behboudi & Maguire, 2024). Although the most frequent conversational partner for the majority of children is their mother, we found that caregivers reported that their children also interact often with a sibling, grandparent, father, uncle/aunt, friend, or teacher.…”

Socioeconomic Inequalities Affect Brain Responses of Infants Growing Up in Germany

“…Low educational attainment and migration background, especially when migration ensues from countries of lower SES, as utilised in this study, relate to social exclusion and marginalisation [ 9 , 129 ]. The underlying processes linking challenges to detrimental effects on child development may be differential, and family income seems of particular relevance [ 10 ]. Thus, integrating information on different aspects of family life is important.…”

“…As a consequence, low educational background has been associated with limited strategies and knowledge about child development and child-rearing, both affecting secure attachment and healthy socioemotional development of the infant. Lower educational background is also being discussed in connection to reduced lexical richness and the grammar complexity of parents affecting children’s language abilities [ 10 ]. Disparities in parental education further contribute to differences in mental and physical health and relate to learning opportunities or academic expectations [ 6 , 11 , 12 , 13 ].…”

“…The situation may be more difficult when families have few socioeconomic resources. Migrating from countries with lower SES may correlate with increased financial burdens, adding an additional risk factor as it may further reduce access to essential resources, heighten stress levels, and lead to fewer opportunities for social and educational advancement [ 10 , 16 ]. Overall, migration may lead to reduced parental well-being and increased stress levels affecting parent–child interactions and the infant’s emotional security.…”