2. As children develop social relationships throughout the lifespan they are subjected to a number of influences/ impacts from their environment. Attachment to their caregiver along with the type of attachment, their development of moral development and social orientation, their formation of social identity are all influenced by their environment and specific culture.
3. The theories that explore and examine social development include the theory of psychosocial development, the theory of moral development, and the theory of social identity development. Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory of development is a modification of Freud's stages of psychosexual development. Erikson's theory focuses more on the social context of development and less on biological and sexual development. His emphasis was on the growth of normal or health personality development rather than abnormal or neurotic development. He was also interested in cultural similarities and differences in the socialization of children and the development of identity during adolescence (Gardiner, p. 33). His theory consists of eight stages of psychosocial development ranging from infancy to later adulthood, each accompanied by a psychosocial crisis requiring resolution if one is to move successfully from one stage to the next. Some considerations to keep in mind while applying this theory to the study of various cultures include, the way in which each crisis is viewed and how the solutions evolve may vary by the culture and also that the ages applied to each stage should only be a guide with individual differences taken into account (Gardiner, p. 35).
Lawrence Kohlberg's theory of moral development consists of three levels of moral development with two stages in each level, representing a more sophisticated and complex orientation toward justice and normative principles (Gardiner, p. 35). Kohlberg assumes that theses six stages are universal and are present in cultures throughout the world but he also states that the stage at which individuals complete their development and the time it takes to be completed may vary from one culture to another.
Social identity development derives from an individual's knowledge of his/her membership of a social group together with the value and emotional significance attached to that membership (Gardiner, p. 198). Culture plays an important role in the progression of social identity formation and its psychological consequences such as self-esteem.
4. Each individual culture has its own value and belief systems regarding appropriate social behavior. Some cultures take the collectivistic attitude, which enforces interdependence among its people. Some cultures take the individualistic point of view, which emphasizes independence. Each of these views has an impact on the kind of socially acceptable behaviors a society will employ. Cooperation, competitiveness, aggression, and dealing with conflict are some examples of the different types of social behaviors cultures deal with according to their beliefs.
5. The formation of the parent-child relationship varies in different cultural settings. Feeding and sleeping arrangements are determinants for this relationship. For example, it is up to each specific society whether a baby is bottle-fed, breast fed, or if a wet nurse is employed. The duration of breast feeding and force-feeding are also issues. Sleeping arrangements also influence early parent-child relationships and reflect cultural beliefs about an infant's social development. Some cultures allow the child to sleep with the parents until a more mature age while some cultures place their young infants to sleep in their own beds in their own rooms early on (p.188). Another influence on the early relationship is whether or not the caretaker works in or outside of the home.