Where were you raised and which cultural group most influenced your development?

Part 1

The process of enculturation in the United States starts with a child learning by interacting with the mother and other members of the family unit. In addition, some children are influenced by members outside the home. However, it is not until the child enters preschool or kindergarten that he or she spends most of the day in the company of and, therefore, being shaped by others. Even then, the child would normally return to the home environment and have the family’s cultural values reinforced.

Modern technology has a powerful influence over most US citizens. Devices are becoming more and more convenient, and family members are interacting with devices while spending time with their children. For example, during walks in the park, mothers might be looking at the phone to text instead of looking at nature and discussing something in the present moment. In addition, almost all day, children are interacting with devices and with their peers and, more than ever, dividing their attention between several tasks.

In your response, address the following:

Analyze and describe the process of enculturation in the United States in the past and present time. Be sure to consider the role of family, school, and church. Where were you raised and which cultural group most influenced your development? Who were the individuals who most shaped your beliefs, values, attitudes, and worldview?
Explain whether you think that modern technology is changing the US culture by interfering with critical learning moments. Elaborate your answer. How does the use of technology impact cultural learning at different developmental stages?
Part 2

Cultural Values and Beliefs

Attachment parenting is characterized by raising young children using methods that keep the child relatively near, and the parents tend to adapt to the child’s rhythms instead of shaping the child to fit into the adults’ schedule. Parents who practice attachment parenting may allow their children to sleep with them and may choose to allow infants to feed on demand.

An article on attachment parenting was published in Time magazine in May 2012. The magazine printed a shocking cover for the article that showed a three-year-old boy standing on a stool while he breast-fed from his mother. Many US citizens were incensed and outraged by this news.

In your response, address the following:

What does the reaction of US citizens reveal about the US cultural values and beliefs? Do other cultures breast-feed children who are three years or older? Is there some cultural advantage to breast-feeding an older child? What limits does it put on the mother and the child?
Focusing on infants, what are the cultural differences between how infants are transported within and outside the United States? For example, some cultural groups keep their infants in body slings so that when adults go from place to place, infants are almost always in close physical contact. Other groups tend to transport their infants in an external device, such as a stroller.
How does the US culture compare to other cultures in regard to attachment parenting? What are some of the pros and cons in seemingly high attachment parenting versus low attachment parenting cultures?
Reference:

Are you mom enough? (2012, May 21). Time. Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,20120521,0…

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