AP Research Question (1)

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How does enculturation affect children's development? AP Seminar April 2022 Word Count: 2013

Introduction Enculturation delineates and explains various human characteristics between cultures. Enculturation is defined by the Oxford dictionary as “the gradual acquisition of the characteristics and norms of a culture or group by a person, another culture, etc.”. The synchrony of cultures is determined by the fundamental attributes of a society. The learning and teaching of necessary, relevant, and viable skills bring forth a newly educated generation. To illustrate this phenomenon, a 2019 survey was conducted to demonstrate the influence of parents’ culture on their children’s development (Maryville University). Collectivism is defined as the practice of giving a group priority over each individual in it. This concept is seen in Asian, South and Central American, and African countries. Individualism juxtaposes the notion of collectivism. Individualism is a social theory favoring freedom of action for individuals over collective or state controls. Europe and North America are the two continents where individualistic ideals are more prominent. Both mindsets are rooted in the culture of various geographical locations. The type of mindset an individual has contributed to the societal problems of their community. Therefore, directly influencing the extremism of the behavior taught to a child. Collectivism affects a child as they are thought to be more empathetic and open-minded to laws concerning equality and fairness. The opposite is true in individualistic communities. Children who are raised with parents fitting into the individualism mindset stereotype are more likely to support laws pertaining to nationalism, freedom, and respect of authoritative figures. In short, the different environmental impacts shape how children develop. Parent’s culture strongly confluences and connects to a child’s language for communication, moral ideologies, and the understanding of their role as a member of society. It is crucial to remember that parenting techniques do not entirely dictate the future of a child. External influences include the introduction of social media,

negative or positive social circles, financial prosperity or issues, racial or gender discrimination, etc. Enculturation is shown in Barry El al's 1959 cross-cultural study of various cultures and their child training practices. It was discovered that hunting and fishing cultures, such as the indigineous community of the Inuit, focused a majority of their time educating and training children in practices that encouraged initiative and innovation. This is a contrast to agricultural societies who are more strict on rules and practices of crops and animals. The authoritarian family dynamic in these communities is a result of the endless negative possibilities. For example, if a crop fails, the devastating effect will be seen for months on end. Food insecurity would increase and a solution to this problem would be too time consuming to implemize that the long-lasting consequence of crop failure will forever remain and damage the prosperity of the community. Parents utilize social norms to raise their kids in a particular way to prepare their children for the “real world”. Preparedness connects with one of the key responsibilities of a parent, protecting their child. The best way to achieve this task is by ensuring they know of the dangers and understand the people they will be surrounded with. By knowing necessary behaviors, children will be prepared for the outside world because said behaviors help kids operate and thrive in a specific culture and society. However, when social environmental norms and home traditions clash, developmental issues can arise. In short, distinct cultural values greatly influence parental techniques such as disciplinary punishments and rewards. Conformity is defined as the behavior of compliance to standards, rules or laws. The Asch Conformity Experiment is a great example that highlights the need for social acceptance due to cultural expectations and parenting approaches. A subject was placed with six confederates, or individuals who seem to be participants but in reality are part of the research team, in a petite room. The subject was presented with four figures, specifically lines. They were

asked to choose two out of four lines that looked similar. The confederates of the experiment purposely selected the incorrect answer to fool the subjects' final response. As expected, the experiment demonstrated the swaying of the subject’s views as the subject chose the same answer as the confederates. They did this to conform to the majority belief, even if their choice was wrong. The validation achieved by his unified answer soothes the idea of isolation. When alone, the subject was almost 100% accurate when selecting which lines were similar. with a less than one percent error. When in a group the subject conformed the majority 36.8% of the time. The experiment shows how the subject would conform to the majority. Conformity is connected to enculturation because of this unifying behavior. The synchronization to a whole or group results in the establishment of underlying values and beliefs. Although conformity does not directly affect the start of a child's development, it is still present in the process. Most of it’s effects are noted or “in full affect” in a child’s teenage and young adulthood years. Conformity is split into categories, which are then divided by levels. The level of these categories are determined by the impact of the effect and vary from culture to culture. Larsen explored conformity’s diverse sections in the 20th century. Laresnen conducted three replications of Asch's experiment in different time segments: 1974, 1979 and 1990. In the 1974 experiment, conformity rates were at the highest concentration in the U.S. compared to that in the 1979 experiment. The different rates of conformity throughout time are explained by the major events that took place in specific communities and cultures. In Larsen’s case, the U.S was the setting the case was conducted in. Due to this, he analyzed current events in the U.S to provide context for the subject’s answers. Laresen argues that the difference in conformity rate between 1974 and 1979 is a result of the beginning and end of the Vietnam War. Vietnam began November 1st, 1955 and ended April 30, 1975. Due to this, Larsen proves that every culture has different rates

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