Culture and Development

There are many factors that influence children for the rest of their lives and how they will interact and fit in to society. Some children embrace their cultural heritage, while some may resist it and want to adopt the cultural aspects of the culture they currently live in. Depending upon how much culture is influenced and how each child receives it can only be looked at on an individual basis as each child is different.

The primary factors that make up a person’s culture are religion, beliefs, social standing, language, and even the amount of affection in the home. In some cultures the mother’s primarily are the affectionate ones, which ultimately passes down to the child. In some children it could cause them to be uncomfortable with male persons that show them affection, and in some it may not affect them at all. Some parents may not pass on all of their cultural beliefs or they may take the time to explain their cultural differences so children may have different perceptions of what is acceptable and what is not. Again it is largely dependent upon each individual child and their household as to how they interpret their cultural practices.

Cultural influences can affect infant and toddler development in a few obvious ways. If a child is from another culture than the one they are currently living in then language skills may be delayed for the primary environment. Children at younger ages tend to learn multiple languages easier than later in life. Also depending upon the culture the child is coming from and how much they interact with others can affect a child’s socialization skills and how they interact with others. There are a few areas that cultural influences may affect development, but personally I think that how much it is considered to be “affecting their development” is also based on the culture that is making the observation. While North American culture may state they should reach this milestone by this age it may not be noted as the same in another culture.

I personally do not think that a person’s culture is more important than biological influences; I cannot say that it is not important at all but definitely is not more important. A person’s culture teaches them how to interact with others, how to carry themselves, how to behave, and values and morals of their cultures. There is no denying that culture definitely plays a part in the way a person thinks and the beliefs they carry along with them, however they can each be changed or modified as the person evolves into their own identity. Then there are also some things that can only be picked up through being nurtured, cared for, loved, and raised that have nothing to do with the culture. It builds self confidence in a child and will ultimately influence their development. I think both aspects greatly influence the way a child develops throughout childhood and the adult they become. Enhancing Learning:

1. Speaking clearly
2. Using hand gestures for common items
3. Labeling the items in the learning environment
4. Incorporating new experiences
5. Incorporating common experiences for all cultures

References
Billikopf, G. (1999). Cultural Differences? Or, are we really that different?. University of California. Retrieved from http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/ucce50/ag-labor/7article/article01.htm PBS. (n.d.). Precious Children: Diversity in the classroom. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/kcts/preciouschildren/diversity/index.html