1. Define the term socialization and explain its importance to understanding cross-cultural human development.
Socialization is the process that a cultural group uses to pass on its values, ideas, and beliefs to the individuals who make up the culture. Socialization is important to understanding cross-cultural human development because it helps explain some of the behavioral differences seen in members of diverse cultures.
2. List and discuss the three components of the developmental niche and give examples from your own experience.
The developmental niche is made up of three components. The first is the setting in which the child is raised. I was raised in a large urban area, in an apartment, with my mother and my sister. The second component is the customs of the larger culture. Where I grew up formal learning was mandatory and I attended school near my home, independence was valued, children had their own rooms, and three meals a day was the standard. The third component is caretaker psychology. My mother expected my sister and I to work hard in school, help around the house, and be polite and respectful. My mother had an authoritative parenting style; she set reasonable rules and had high expectations for us.
3. Comment on some cultural differences in the socialization of infants' basic needs e.g. sleep, feeding, and crying.
Sleep: In Western cultures where independence is a highly valued trait, children are often put in their own beds to sleep from birth. In other cultures where a greater emphasis is placed on interdependence, children may sleep in their parents' beds until early childhood or the birth of another child.
Feeding: Some cultures are more apt to breastfeed than others. Food preferences are also culturally set. Many underdeveloped countries have high poverty rates that lead to malnutrition.
Crying: Parents from many cultures are able to identify crying from infants with developmental disorders or health problems.
4. Explain what is meant by rites of passage and describe the role they play in adolescent identity.
A rite of passage is an event that symbolizes the movement from one stage of development to another, especially from childhood or adolescence into adulthood. In many non-industrialized societies, these rites of passage occur at puberty. This transition clearly marks a child's passage into the adult world. In western societies, the rite of passage has been replaced with a prolonged adolescence in which children continue to receive education to prepare them for adult life.
5. Show an understanding of Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory and discuss his psychosocial crises as they apply to each stage of the lifespan.
Erikson's theory describes development as a process of crises that must be resolved before moving on to the next stage of development. His was the first theory to describe development into adulthood. Crises to be resolved include: trust vs. mistrust, autonomy vs. shame and doubt, initiative vs. guilt, industry vs. inferiority, identity vs. role confusion, intimacy vs. isolation, generativity vs. stagnation, and integrity vs. despair.