Relationship Based Care in Cultural and Historical Setting

Give an example of cultural practice described by Raikes & Edwards (2009), and provide an explanation of the importance of understanding the practice you selected.

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Culture and cultural practices are important aspects of childbearing and upbringing of kids. As an early childhood professional, it is important to understand the cultural dynamics that are involved and directly influence the upbringing of the child. One of the cultural practices discussed by Raikes and Edwards (2009) is the practice of caregiving that has been carried out differently depending on the cultural practices where the child is brought up. According to the authors, this practice is dominant in communities that are plagued by the threat of death and diseases. The parent is therefore preoccupied with mechanisms of keeping the child alive and safe.

Understanding the cultural practices that help enhance child survival is important especially for areas where there are high rates of infant mortality and morbidity. Understanding the historical perspectives of these practices as adopted in the now first world countries is important in helping solve similar problems in the current third world nations. This helps to change the notion of child mortality from being a misfortune to a tragedy that can be prevented by practical and deliberate means (Raikes, Edwards, & Gandini, 2009). This analysis also helps in understanding the importance of integrating aspects such as economics and safe social practices into the cultural practices that enhance emotional and physical development. The various aspects to be included to ensure the survival of the child is also understood through this review.

In conclusion, effective cultural practices enhance childhood complete development. Understanding the needs for child survival helps in understanding the target societies in which better cultural practices can be used to alleviate causes of child mortality and morbidity. Also, the early childhood professional is prepared to handle the child appropriately owing to the insistence of the society on practices that enhance childhood survival. An understanding of caregiving practices is good for the inclusion of useful practices and avoidance of wild ones.

Name the three (3) major cultural ways for socializing infants in the first three years and describe how these change with a different cultural context

Three major pathways are useful for childhood socialization. These ways include childhood survival, economic achievement, and personal fulfillment. All these ways of socialization are greatly influenced by the various cultural backgrounds in which the child is raised and could in turn influence the how various children are raised.

Childhood survival is important in low-income societies where there are high levels of poverty. The main aim of the parent is to ensure that the child survives effects leading to infant mortality and morbidity. The need for childhood survival is nearly non-existent in high income and developed societies.

Economic achievement is an important aspect of the childs socialization process and is prevalent in societies where there is need to make financial gains due to scarce resources. In these societies, the child survival is already assured. Again, the dynamics of child economic achievement changes in societies where there is no competition for resources.

The personal fulfillment of the child is another key socialization aspect that is majorly associated with the there is satisfaction regarding child survival and economic development. The focus is therefore shifted to happiness and attainment of personal satisfaction by the child.

The anxiety and focus of the society on one of the three socialization ways leads to a change in how they perceive the other two. The most stressing social need, therefore, becomes predominant in that society with the others nearly non-existent.

Understanding the various socialization pathways is important for any early childhood professional as it helps them shape the childs development by focusing on the most important aspect while integrating the other two least stressed yet important aspects. These developmental pathways further influence aspects such as the social and emotional development of the child and their behavior as they grow up (Tomlin, 2008).

In conclusion, it is important for the early childhood educator to understand the most common need within a particular cultural setup. This is helpful in determining and stressing on underdeveloped aspects and also adequately addressing the current needs.

Read the section by Carol Brunson Day in Lally et. al. (2006), and describe two ways you think would change conventional ways we think about infants, toddlers, and their families.

There are various ways through which infant and toddler care have been viewed in an almost similar way all around the world. Nearly conventional infant and toddler care practices have been adopted all over the years. These practices include:

The hard spanking of and strenuous punishment to the infant,

The kids have no routine sleeping places and time,

Sleep and play is done by adult command under no specific routine,

No specific people play with the infant and lack of any rules and expected behavior of the toddler (Raikes, Edwards, & Gandini, 2009).

However, the early childhood professional should be able to understand the need for a strength-based approach in evaluating the ways of handling the infant or toddler. In this regard, the professional assesses the effective way of handling the toddler by the family and adding more emphasis on that way. The handling styles might be culture based, forcing the early childhood professional to integrate their ways of child care to suit within the cultural setup effectively.

Another way of ensuring there is a change in the conventional manner of handling toddlers and their families is through ensuring that the parents are knowledgeable and doing things the right way in matters concerning their toddlers welfare. Both the families and the early childhood professional must approach the duty of upbringing the child in an acceptable and best way.

In conclusion, the information on the change in the conventional ways of handling the toddler within the family setup is important as it helps in engaging every family member to take part in the upbringing of the infant. Upon the establishment of the role of each in the upbringing of the toddler, both the family and the professionals involved agree in the best ways possible to effectively employ in education and care of the infant. The integration of the culture of the society where the child is raised is an important aspect in this regard too.

References

Raikes, H., Edwards, C., & Gandini, L. (2009). Extending the dance in infant and toddler caregiving (1st ed.). Baltimore, Md.: Paul H. Brookes Pub. Co.Tomlin, C. (2008). Factors Affecting the Socialization of Children. Earlychildhoodnews.com. Retrieved 28 January 2017, from http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=553