Child Rearing Across Cultures

Understanding child rearing across cultures:  Cultural groups define success differently.  Cultural differences influence practitioner’s views.  Cultural differences influence parent perspectives of the intervention system & educational process.  Incongruence between cultures can create barriers or misunderstandings.

Common Goals Across Cultures  Providing for children’s physical, health, & safety needs.  Pass on basic values/norms of culture (specific) and society (general).  Help children become competent, contributing, successful adults.

Perspectives on child rearing Individualism  Child as individual  Personal choice and independent thinking.  Emphasis on cognition  Support for individual self expression.

More perspectives on child rearing Collectivism  Child as part of group  Respect for elders and other authority figures; emphasis on consensus  Emphasis on social skills  Support for accepting authority

Latino Cultural Perspectives and Child Rearing “I took this picture on Sunday, after Mass. I thought about taking it to send it to their grandparents, so they could see the children. My husband and I have been a long time without seeing our parents, and the children don’t know them, only through pictures. My parents last saw my daughter when she was 7 months old, when we left Mexico.”

La Familia Familism as a cultural value  “A strong identification and attachment to the family that is marked by strong feelings of loyalty, reciprocity, and solidarity among family members”  It includes the extended network of blood relatives, compadres (Godparents), and in-laws.  Extended family networks provide a sense of cultural identity and social support.

Three Components of Familism  Family obligations  Family help  Family guide

“This is Susy with her uncle Gilberto. Here, the brothers visit each other a lot, we eat together, specially on the weekends. In the picture, Gilberto is telling to Susy, “No kisses”, but he is laughing.”

Respeto  Certain roles require/demand particular behaviors. respeto.  Who deserves our respeto.  Personal regard for the individual who occupies that role.  Faltar al respeto  Faltar al respeto (to offend another’s sense of dignity) is considered to be a serious affront.

Un niño bien educado (A well educated child) Educación  The concept of Educación refers to the total task of bringing up a moral and responsible child.  It means teaching children important lessons. Consejos.  Most of the teaching is carried out through Consejos.  It is integrated to the importance of morality, respect and family unity.

“Mothers believed that their role as ‘educators’ of their children required that they engage constantly in the practice of ‘dando consejos’ (guiding their children), and they did it whenever there was any verbal interaction between them and their children” Valdés, 1996.

More Child-rearing Values  Interdependence  Cooperation  Children are included in adult world  Activities for children are people oriented  Multiple modes of communication are emphasized

Building Partnerships with Latino Families  Face to Face Communication  Personalism  Trust/ “Confianza”

Personal relationships are very important in building “confianza” with Latino families

Remember…. n Although Latinos share many common values, differences among Latino subgroups exist. n As in any ethnic or cultural group, it is possible to find different perspectives and points of view among individual families and, of course, among individual children.

Latino Families Perspectives on Disabilities  Extended family may be involved in decisions related to the child’s disability.  Professionals who work with children with disabilities may be seen as the experts.

Latino Families Perspectives on Disabilities (con’t)  Families may link biomedical causes of disability to “spiritual phenomenon” or socio-cultural beliefs.  Religious faith and folk practices may be welcome in the process of healing.

Accessibility and utilization of services: Challenges  Latino families are at increased risk for lack of access to and underutilization of services.  Latino families report greater needs for information about how to get services.  The degree of involvement in planning and coordinating services for children with disabilities is also lower in Latino parents

Why Latino parents have lower access and involvement ?  Lack familiarity with education, health, human services systems, and early intervention system.  Latinos interact in a collective way, but want to keep certain matters in private.  Parents may not feel at ease if their English language skills are limited.  Different perceptions of parent and professional roles

Why Latino parents have lower access and involvement? (cont’d)  May think that if they complain the services their child receives could be affected.  May feel that written communication is not a warm way to be informed.  Other challenges: lack of transportation, no access to childcare, work demands.

Accessibility and utilization of services: Strategies  Hire bilingual providers or trained interpreters.  Hire Spanish-speaking, preferably bicultural liaison to conduct outreach and coordinate services.  Translate documents and information into Spanish.

Accessibility and utilization of services: Strategies (cont’d)  Offer transportation and childcare.  Provide training for personnel on cultural and linguistic diversity.  Collaborate with churches, tiendas, community colleges ESL classes, Latino and other community organizations for outreach services