Culture

The importance of culture requires practitioners and policy makers to be knowledgeable about culture and child development. This is a pressing issue in host nations, where addressing the needs of a diverse population of immigrant children who differ in acculturation (changes resulting from the meeting of cultures) extends beyond a linguistic issue. Immigrant families should also be informed about how different ideologies can contribute to their child’s difficulty with peers in the host country. One way to achieve optimal adaptation for these children is to form positive and productive alliances with families and communities. Identifying what works best in one particular environment should be carefully validated, and must reflect a community’s needs.

Training field workers to be culturally sensitive is essential to understand the meaning of a child’s conduct and allow them to identify it as normal or problematic. In some cases, professionals require a completely unique approach that includes goals and conditions that are tailored to local beliefs and traditions. These changes are also likely to encourage the involvement of cultural community members in the education of their young children. For example, Aboriginal communities in Canada advocate for a formal education curriculum that teaches children about their history, descendants and cultural roles. They also argue that children’s learning can be enhanced through a self-esteem boost, emphasizing strengths rather than deficits.

Just like mental and physical health can enhance learning and development in young children, so can cultural fortification. Thus, intervention programs in early childhood should always allow flexibility for cultural adjustments, and enable families to incorporate services smoothly into their life.

See also...

• How important is it?
• What do we know?
• According to experts