According to many studies, there is a significant influence of culture on childhood cognitive development. Child development is a dynamic, interactive process. Therefore, it would stand to reason that the environments in which children grow up shape their thinking and behaviors. Childhood in different cultures involves the specific inputs imposed on children’s beliefs from the environment. Language is one of the many ways through which culture affects development. The contents of what people talk about vary in different cultures. For example, most German mothers focus on infants’ needs as a person. On the other hand, many African mothers focus on the social context and the influence of culture.
influence of culture on childhood cognitive development
EARLY CHILDHOOD COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Childhood cognitive development is the ability of children to understand, process information, and produce language. Young children experience a language explosion between the ages of three and six. By the time they are three years old, they can speak about 900 words. Additionally, the specific words they speak are mostly an influence of culture and parenting approaches. In most cases, infants understand more words that they can speak. As they grow up, their expressive abilities catch up with their receptive capabilities. Differences in languages and grammar have varying effects on childhood in different cultures. Therefore, as they grow, children become increasingly skilled at remembering and practicing the languages modeled around them.
early childhood cognitive development
INFLUENCE OF CULTURE AND THEORIES ON CHILDHOOD IN DIFFERENT CULTURES
These are several theories on childhood in different cultures. Developmental theories tend to be contextually and culturally specific. For example, in many African cultures, the concept of self has a great connection to others. Therefore, many African children develop as part of a rich socialization process, which begins after birth. Most of their actions and behaviors are an influence of culture. In Western cultures, infants live in nuclear families with two parents. Thus, children in these cultures develop exclusive attachments to their parents. Critics argue that Western nations over-rely on attachment theories and disregard rearing children as part of a community. Lastly, it is important to consider various approaches for enhanced childhood cognitive development.
theories on childhood in different cultures
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