Jörn Borke

Cultural Models, Socialization Goals, and Parenting Ethnotheories A Multicultural Analysis

This study conceptualizes a cultural model of parenting. It is argued that cultural models are expressed in the degree of familism, which informs socialization goals that are embodied in parenting ethnotheories. Three cultural models were differentiated a priori: independent, interdependent, and autonomous-related. Samples were recruited that were expected to represent these cultural models: German, Euro-American, and Greek middle-class women representing the independent cultural model; Cameroonian Nso and Gujarati farming women representing the interdependent cultural model; and urban Indian, urban Chinese, urban Mexican, and urban Costa Rican women representing the autonomous-related model. These a priori classifications were confirmed with data that addressed different levels of the cultural models of parenting. The authors further confirmed that socialization goals mediate between broader sociocultural orientations (familism) and parenting ethnotheories concerning beliefs about good parenting. The data reveal that the model of autonomous relatedness needs further theoretical and empirical refinement. Problems with empirical studies comparing participants with very different lifestyles are discussed.

Continuity in Parenting Strategies: A Cross-Cultural Comparison

This prospective longitudinal study is aimed at contributing to the understanding of cultural diversity concerning maternal parenting behaviors and conversational styles on one hand and continuity in parenting strategies on the other hand. It could be demonstrated that German middle-class families from Berlin and Indian Hindu middle-class families from Delhi represent two different cultural environments embodying different parenting strategies. The Berlin mothers focus on the cultural model of independence, whereas the Delhi mothers focus on the cultural model of autonomous relatedness. These different orientations are expressed in nonverbal and conversational behaviors with 3-month-old babies as well as in the play styles with 19-month-old toddlers. It could also be demonstrated that the parenting styles form continuous socialization environments. Especially the conversation styles that mothers use while talking to their 3-month-old babies were good predictors for the play styles with their 19-month-old toddlers. The results are discussed with an emphasis on parenting strategies as continuous and consistent cultural projects.

Sociocultural Influences on the Development of Self-Recognition and Self-Regulation in Costa Rican and Mexican Toddlers

The aim of this study was to examine sociocultural influences on the development of specific sociocognitive developmental milestones. The self-recognition and self-regulation skills of 2-year-old children were assessed in two autonomous-relational cultural contexts: educated, urban, middle-class families from Costa Rica (N = 19) and Mexico (N = 15). These two cultural groups are representative of a consistent pattern of an autonomous-relational Latin American cultural model; there were no differences between the two groups in mothers’ socialization goals, maternal behavior during mother–child play, and toddlers’ self-recognition and self-regulation. As predicted by ecocultural models of development, consistent cultural models emerged: Sociodemographic factors were associated with mothers’ relative emphasis on autonomous socialization goals and lower levels of directive and didactic play. There were also significant correlations between facets of mothers’ cultural models and toddlers’ development of self-regulation, but not self-recognition. This study provides further evidence that the sociocognitive development of children’s self-regulation during the second year is dependent on the “ecological imprint” that is provided by their mothers’ cultural model. Furthermore, the same mechanisms that account for cross-cultural differences also seem to account for intracultural variation in maternal behavior and toddlers’ development.

Beratung mit Familien aus unterschiedlichen kulturellen Kontexten: Ein Prozessmodell zur kultursensitiven Beratung für Familien mit Säuglingen und Kleinkindern

Vorstellungen uber die Entwicklung und Erziehung von Kindern konnen je nach kulturellem Kontext erheblich variieren. Ebenso unterscheiden sich Erwartungen von KlientInnen an Beratungsprozesse abhangig von kulturellen Hintergrunden und Vorerfahrungen. Beides ist in hohem Mase relevant fur Beratungstatigkeiten, bei denen Entwicklungsperspektiven und -zusammenhange bedeutsam sind. In diesem Artikel befassen wir uns mit Beratungsprozessen von Familien mit Sauglingen und Kleinkindern. Deren Anliegen beziehen sich haufig auf exzessives Sauglingsschreien, Schlaf- und Futterschwierigkeiten sowie exzessives Trotzverhalten von Kleinkindern. Das vorgestellte Prozessmodell gibt Anhaltspunkte fur eine kultursensitive Beratung. Ziel ist es, Anschlussfahigkeit an unterschiedliche familiare Hintergrunde zu sichern. Damit wird ein Referenzsystem geschaffen, das es BeraterInnen erlaubt, die Prozesse mit Klienten und Klientinnen kultursensitiv zu planen und zu gestalten. Im Prozess werden mithilfe einer ausfuhrlichen Exploration und einer darauf aufbauenden Fit-Misfit-Analyse die kulturspezifischen Ideale der Familie zur Erziehung und Entwicklung von Kindern mit der Realitat der aktuellen Lebenswelt in Beziehung gesetzt und mogliche Entwicklungskonsequenzen ausgelotet. Zugleich stehen eine kultursensitive Haltung und Prozessgestaltung sowie eine entsprechend abgestimmte Wahl der Interventionen im Mittelpunkt.

Grundzüge einer kultursensitiven Krippenpädagogik

In diesem Beitrag skizzieren wir Grundzuge einer kultursensitiven Krippenpadagogik aus Sicht der kulturvergleichenden Entwicklungspsychologie. Der Prozess der kulturellen Offnung ermoglicht es, 1) Kinder optimal – und das heist auch auf unterschiedliche Art und Weise – in ihrer Entwicklung zu begleiten und 2) das gegenseitige Verstandnis und die Kooperation zwischen Institution und Elternhaus zu verbessern. Es ist daher ein vielversprechender Weg, um die Teilhabe an Systemen der fruhkindlichen Bildung gleichberechtigter zu gestalten und fur alle zu gewahrleisten.