The cultural specificity of parent-infant interaction: Perspectives of urban middle-class and rural indigenous families in Costa Rica.

Caregiver-infant interactions in Western middle class often take place in dyadic play settings, engaged in infant-initiated object stimulation, and surrounded by a positive emotional tone, reflecting a distal parenting style. With this study we aim to investigate whether the same conception of caregiver-infant interaction is embodied in the proximal parenting style. For this purpose, we compare the context and pattern of caregiver-infant interactions in two cultural groups in Costa Rica: Urban middle-class families in San José and rural indigenous Bribri families. Naturalistic observations and caregiver interviews revealed significant differences between the groups, with San José families resembling the Western middle-class interaction pattern. Among the Bribris, adult-child play is uncommon so that children interact with adults in primary care settings and with older siblings in play settings. Bribri interactions are further characterized by emotional neutrality. The groups did not differ in terms of body contact. Also, caregivers in both samples took the lead in interactions more often than infants. The results are discussed in the context of an autonomous-relational style as combining psychological autonomy and hierarchical relatedness. We argue that early childhood theories and intervention programs need to abandon the assumption that Western middle-class strategies are universal and recognize locally relevant patterns of caregiver-infant interaction.

Sistemas de creencias parentales y orientación cultural en niños y niñas en cuidado transitorio: estudio de caso en una aldea gubernamental en Costa Rica

En este artículo se presentan y discuten los hallazgos del estudio "Caracterización del estilo de crianza de los niños y las niñas en cuidado permanente en una Aldea Gubernamental: sistemas de creencias parentales y orientación cultural" (Durán-Delgado, 2012). La especificidad cultural del parentaje, en un contexto de cuidado en una institución de protección transitoria gubernamental, se analiza desde estudios precedentes sobre particularidad cultural del parentaje en Costa Rica. Se discute cómo el contexto y la cultura tienen una función homogenizante en lo que a trayectorias del desarrollo se refiere. A partir de una aproximación metodológica sensible al contexto y un diseño mixto, se trabajó en una institución de protección transitoria gubernamental. Se aplicaron entrevistas, escalas y observación etnográfica a niños, niñas y cuidadoras. A partir del estudio, se concluye que a pesar de la discontinuidad que el contexto institucional de cuidado ofrece, las trayectorias del desarrollo orientadas a la relacionalidad autónoma, propias de la cultura, son exitosamente estimuladas y concretadas. Las creencias y las prácticas de las cuidadoras muestran evidencia de una particularidad de un contexto institucional de cuidado, así como también no dejan de inscribirse en las trayectorias de la cultura local predominante. El estímulo a formas más autónomas del desarrollo en medio de un contexto de la relacionalidad refleja la necesidad de estimular formas resilientes para esta población en particular.

This paper discusses the findings of the study "Characterization of Parenting Style among Children in a Permanent- Care State-Run Village: Parental Belief Systems and Cultural Orientation" (Duran-Delgado, 2012). The cultural specificity of parenting, in a context of institutional care in a semi -permanent publicly-run establishment is analyzed from the perspective of prior studies on the cultural peculiarities of parenting in Costa Rica. We discuss how the context and the culture have a homogenizing function with regards to trajectories for development. Based on a mixed-design context-sensitive methodological approach, we worked in a publicly-run institution for transitory care. Interviews, scales and ethnographic observation were carried out on the children and their care-takers. Based on the study, we conclude that in spite of the discontinuity offered by the institutional context, developmental trajectories oriented to the autonomous relationships typical of the culture are successfully stimulated and formed. The care-takers' beliefs and practices show evidence of a peculiarity of the institutional context of care, as well as not allowing them to enlist in the trajectories of the predominant local culture. The stimulus towards more autonomous forms of development in the midst of the context of the relationships reflects the need for stimulating more resilient forms for this population in particular.