Presented to the Psychology Department

De La Salle University - Manila

Term 2, A.Y. 2022 - 2023

In partial fulfillment
of the course
Developmental Psychology (PSYDEVE A51)

MIDTERM PAPER

Submitted by:
Maquiran, Sharmaika Christine A.

Submitted to:
Prof. Samuel Bautista

April 15, 2023

 Binding Culture & Child Development Together

An infant can be born in the Philippines, but grow up in the United States of America

or vice versa, and how the child develops would still be completely different one way or

another if they were to grow up in other parts of the world. Development heavily relies on a

child’s environment, which dictates the child’s growth. As time goes by, the child interacts

with their surroundings, which then shapes how they think, act, and feel. Hence, the

introduction of culture into this thread. Culture is inherently diverse; traditions and

practices that date back centuries ago have influenced many different communities, may it

be countries, religions, or other facets of society. This essay will tackle the connection

between child development and culture, including parenting styles, language development,

and socialization.

Culture on Parenting Styles on Children

The role of parents is integral to a child’s development, especially during the early

formative years. Culture plays a huge role in terms of the upbringing of children mediated

by the parents, for instance, parents of Latin descent tend to be stern and authoritarian in

style (Camilo, 2021). A clear contrast between strict and lenient parenting styles would be

between White Americans and Latinxs in the United States; in American households, the

parents would usually implement a permissive parenting style (e.g., allow children to do

chores or tasks whenever they feel like it, giving children the freedom to roam around the

neighborhood), while in Latinx households, the parenting style leans more towards

authoritarian (e.g., restricting the child to play in their peers’ homes, limiting interaction with

the outside world), this may be due to the parents being undocumented immigrants which
gives them a reason to become overly-protective for their children’s safety and to avoid

deportation. Another thing to note in Latinx culture is the hierarchical nature in families,

where the parents have the upper hand in every decision. In Camilo’s journal entries (2021),

it is shown that culture can heavily affect parenting styles in children; With the hierarchical

upbringing in Latinx culture, Camilo has shown anger and frustration with her parents’

reasoning when restricting her (e.g., the “You must follow my rules because I am older than

you” argument).

Language Development in Children

Communication is one of the most important components of a child’s development

as it motivates the learning process to begin, as well as forming close relationships with

family and peers, expressing emotions, participating in engaging activities, and identifying

the child’s needs. According to Cameron-Faulkner et al. (2020), there are many different

ways to communicate, especially in children, including prelinguistic gestures, maternal

speech, and early child language development. As stated by the same authors, there may

be variations in patterns of communicative growth depending on the sorts of

communication tactics employed by the caregiver and the child, which prompts the

question of how culture plays a role in language development in children, and it is important

to look at the cultural key factors that may contribute to different forms of interaction.

There is diversity in terms of communicative ways between parent-child all over the world,

for instance, in South Asian households (specifically Chinese), children are immersed in a

more formal way of interaction (e.g., ignoring the child’s early multi-word speeches) as

compared to tolerable Western child-centered play methods. Here, we see how great the

cultural differences are in the language and overall development of children.

Cultural Socialization in Children

It is no denying that the upbringing of an individual is based on their culture and

beliefs; how they think, act, and feel is through the knowledge they have received and

retained from their parents or the people around them. Children are immersed in a cultural

environment the moment they are born, be they black, brown, or white. According to

Pumariega and Joshi (2010), Erikson saw the importance of ethnic identity in individuals, as

well as the practice of traditions and customs of cultures in socialization. Gutierrez et al.

(2022) believed that family is the first agent of socialization; they are essentially responsible

for teaching the child how to interact with people. For example, Filipinos show the value of

respect to elders by doing the gesture of mano, while Koreans bow to acknowledge or thank

someone. These simple gestures and interactions are ingrained in the minds of the child up

to when they become adults, which goes to show how culture is a big part of a child’s

development.

Conclusion

With these concepts and statements in mind, we can assume that culture is

definitely instrumental in a child’s development. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory also proves

that development is a social and cultural-centered process; Individuals may refer to their

personal experiences to deduce this assumption and acknowledge that one’s environment

can impact growth, not only in children but in adolescents as well. This also tells us how

crucial one’s cultural background is in understanding their identity, personality, distinct

attributes, and the like.

References

Cameron-Faulkner, T., et al. (2020). A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Early Prelinguistic Gesture

Development and Its Relationship to Language Development. Society for Research in Child

Development. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13406

Camilo, E. (2021). "The Effect of Culture on Parenting Styles: Are There Similarities Between

Latinx & Working-Class Parenting Styles?," Proceedings of GREAT Day: Vol. 2020 , Article 9.

Available at: https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/proceedings-of-great-day/vol2020/iss1/9

Gutierrez, E., et al. (2022). 4.1: Socialization and Culture. Race and Ethnic Relations in the

U.S.: An Intersectional Approach. ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative (OERI).

https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Ethnic_Studies/Race_and_Ethnic_Relations_in

_the_U.S.%3A_An_Intersectional_Approach/04%3A_Prejudice_Discrimination_and_Racis

m/4.01%3A_Socialization_and_Culture

Pumariega, A.J., Joshi, S.V. (2010). Culture and Development in Children and Youth. Child and

Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America. doi:10.1016/j.chc.2010.08.002