Transcript The Influence of Culture on Caregiving

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Culture: is a shared, learned, symbolic system of values, beliefs and
attitudes that shapes and influences perception and behavior -- an abstract
"mental blueprint" or "mental code."
Must be studied "indirectly" by studying behavior, customs, material culture
(artifacts, tools, technology), language, etc.
* Each one of us is shaped by experiences with and relationships in different groups. These groups
combine to create and individual of us is shaped by experiences with and relationships in different
culture or unique context from which we view the world.
* The unique nature of our individual cultures means that we cannot generalize about what a specific group
believes, wants, or thinks simply based on their race, nationality, or religion
* Cultures vary just as much within groups as they do across groups
* Even as we identify ourselves with a primary culture (e.g., African American culture), we participate in
other cultural groups and are influenced by other cultural groups as well
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Values, beliefs and assumptions are the “lens”
through which we see and understand the
world.
So how do we define each of these areas?
Read on and see.
values are how important
something is to us. For example
the mainstream culture in the
United States tends to value
independence.
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Beliefs are ideas that we accept as
true. People are very attached to
their beliefs and are unlikely to
change them. For example, one
person may believe in the existence
of a higher being and another person
may believe, equally strongly, that
there is no such thing
Assumptions are ideas we have based upon
previous experiences. Unlike beliefs, we are
usually able to explain the rationale for our
assumptions. We are often less attached to our
assumptions and are more likely to change them
with new information. For example, some
parents in the United States assume that
answering a young baby’s cries too quickly will
lead to spoiling him. When they learn that
holding a crying baby helps him learn to soothe
himself, parents are often willing to change this
assumption
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We interpret behavior and interactions from
the standpoint of our own culture
When a family’s culture is similar to ours,
these interpretations may be more accurate.
When a family’s culture is different from ours,
we may interpret a message differently than
the family intended.
Culture shapes our values, beliefs, and
assumptions and, by extension, influences
how we interpret our interactions and
experiences
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Very young children do most
of their learning through their
relationships with the adults
who care for them.
Through caregiving routines
and rituals, children learn
about their culture
While we are caring for
children, we are also teaching
them about their culture
This isn’t deliberate teaching
with lessons and activity
sheets, but teaching that takes
place naturally through our
interactions with children. It is
teaching by doing, seeing and
saying
Through the ways in which we care for
children, we are providing a model for how to
communicate, express emotions, build
relationships and explore their world.
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Every aspect of child-rearing is influenced by
culture. If parents make a request, it must be
important to them in some way.
Instead of asking “why” ---ask “why not?”
Turn a judgment (“I can’t believe they would ask
me to do that?”) into a question (“I wonder why
she asked me to do that?”)
By learning more, you can understand what this
is about
Possibilities, compromises, and ideas can emerge
when you appreciate the parental goal behind a
particular request, and recognize the link
between culture and caregiving.
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Culture shapes parental goals. Different cultures seek
different skills, abilities and attributes in children.
This influences the choices parents make in their
caregiving style
Parental goals are rooted in the parents’ life
experiences. Knowing about the experiences of a
parent gives us insight into their parental goals
Asking what the parent hopes the child will learn
through a particular practice will also give us
important information about the family’s cultural
beliefs, values and assumptions.
This information helps us meet each family’s
individual needs more effectively
Cultural continuity between child care and home environments
describes a congruence in beliefs and practices around daily
routines and caregiving activities, this consistency promotes a
sense of collaboration and nurturance for the family as a
whole.
Why is this important?
•Supports development of a positive sense of identity
•Provides a stable foundation of emotional support
•Makes transition to child care less difficult for children
When not present?
•Children lose basic frame of reference
•Receive conflicting messages from different environments
•Children feel less competent than peers
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Cultural Reciprocity is a collaborative
process of information-sharing and
understanding, begun by provider
This emphasizes the importance of giveand-take relationship
Self Awareness
 2. Learning about other cultures
 3. Explaining our recommendations
 4. Collaborating with families
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1.
This week take notes about how you practice
cultural reciprocity.
1. What have learned about the culture of
one of the families you provide care for?
2. How did you explain your
recommendations for altering a child care
providing situation?
3. What was the final collaborative effortwas there give and take?
Next week there will be time to report on your experience.