Cultural Influences on Child Mental Development

October 11, 2023 ReachingWorld

Introduction

Based on their upbringing, children have an idea of who they are. Infants are exposed to a variety of cultural influences from birth, including those relating to food, language, art, and religion, which affect how they grow emotionally, socially, physically, and linguistically.

Learning can be hampered when a child’s self-identity conflicts with the social environment as a result of cultural differences. Fortunately, educators who are culturally competent support the learning of children from all ethnic origins by demonstrating an appreciation for many cultures and how they contribute to each child’s value as an individual.

Individuals who work with children, such as social workers, Child Counselor, and experts, must be aware of the cultural impacts on child development and how they affect how individuals grow and learn since culture is such a potent predictor of a kid’s future well-being.

The Importance of Childhood Development

Early infancy is a crucial time for mental and emotional development, and what kids see and experience now might affect them later on: Our early settings and the way we deal with them might foretell how healthy and happy we will be as adults. Although the brain continues to develop and alter throughout adulthood, the first eight years can lay the groundwork for future success in learning, health, and life, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The child’s interactions with other people and the outside world have a significant impact on how the brain develops.

Let’s take a look at the three primary ways children assimilate the information around them as they develop to better understand how the environment affects a kid.

Conditioning that is conventional

Establishing links between a stimulus and a reaction. Children from religious homes, for instance, could connect prayer time with bedtime.

Conditioning operations

Establishing links between a reward and a behavior. For instance, once the kids finish their veggies, they could have dessert.

Observation-based education

Seeing people in person or through the media, taking in and replicating what they observe. For instance, a young child could say, “Time to clean up” since their instructor uses phrase at school.

Therefore, children pick up knowledge through seeing and inferring things about their environment. A child’s development can be positively impacted by exposure to positive influences, whilst exposure to toxic or stressful influences can have the opposite effect.

If all else is equal, a child’s natal culture has no effect on them. A child’s self-image and development may be harmed if some aspects of their cultural heritage are not recognized or understood by the culture in which they are raised.

In other words, because developing youngsters quickly integrate what they see and hear, the social cues that people provide a young kid about their cultural background can aid or hinder growth. When a young kid comes from a background that is distinct from the dominant culture, such as when their family speaks a different language at home, consumes different foods, or celebrates other holidays, it can have an impact on their self-image. This is especially true if classmates or even instructors treat the child unfairly or in a way that makes them feel different.

Recognizing Cultural Influences on Child Development

Our development is influenced by culture beginning at birth and continuing as we become older. For instance, culture may have an impact on how children develop their beliefs, language, values, and sense of who they are as people and as members of society.

These cultural influences may be transmitted to children in a variety of ways, including through their parents, their surroundings, and the media. A child’s growth can be influenced by society’s awareness of different cultures in a variety of ways, such as how confident they feel in themselves or how at ease socializing with others as adults.

Parental Influences on Child Development

The cultural background of parents might affect how their kids develop. According to a 2019 research, for instance, cultural norms frequently have an impact on how parents educate their children, including how they punish and establish boundaries. Because they are training them to acquire the habits required functioning and succeeding in that society, parents have every right to raise their kids in accordance with cultural influences. However, when the social environment and family culture differ, developmental issues might arise.

Collectivist vs. Individualistic Cultures and Parental Discipline

How parents discipline their children may vary depending on their cultural background. This in turn may have an impact on a child’s development, especially if the punishment techniques used are not consistent with the cultural norm.

An individualistic culture, on the other hand, emphasizes the value of the person above the community and celebrates and honors boldness and autonomous initiative. Western European and North American civilizations are characterized by a strong individualism.

According to the earlier-mentioned 2019 study, parents in individualistic cultures discipline their children differently than parents in collectivist societies. Conversely, parents from collectivist societies would advise their kids to consider how their actions could affect other people.

According to the study, kids brought up in individualistic societies frequently defined themselves in terms of their special talents, such as “I am good at math.” Children from collectivist societies, on the other hand, were more likely to refer to themselves in terms of their relationships with others, such as “I am my mother’s daughter.”

When parents or educators punish kids in accordance with the dominant culture—the individualistic culture of the United States—rather than the culture of their family of origin, it can have an impact on the development of the child. When a teacher encourages students to be competitive, for instance, youngsters whose parents have trained them to value collaboration over competition may get confused or irritated.

Parental Influences on Children’s Behavior

When parents or educators punish kids in accordance with the dominant culture—the individualistic culture of the State—rather than the culture of their family of origin, it can have an impact on the development of the child. When a teacher encourages students to be competitive, for instance, youngsters whose parents have trained them to value collaboration over competition may get confused or irritated.

On the playground and subsequently in the workplace, these cultural effects on children’s language development may benefit or hurt them. Children will be more likely to receive the acceptance and respect they need to grow and develop if their culture is acknowledged at school, especially how they verbally engage with others. They have a higher likelihood of developing into confident people with a positive self-image who can have constructive interactions. If not, though, kids can grow up to be adults who are afraid to speak up and be heard for fear of being mocked or misinterpreted.

Media Influences on Child Development

Movies, television programs, video games, and other internet information all have an impact on children’s development.

The relationship between these factors and cultural background is obvious: People from various cultures have varied views on TV and other entertainment media, as well as diverse financial means to access them. For instance, a youngster raised in a collectivist society would be encouraged to assist young children or elderly relatives instead of watching instructive television after school. Indirect cultural factors affect young kids’ capacity to gain from such encounters.

Furthering the example, kids whose culture forbids watching instructional TV and other media could face bullying at school for skipping out on the popular activities that other kids do.

The portrayal and reinforcement of cultural stereotypes in popular culture media is another way that it might have an impact on children’s development. For instance, a movie could portray women or members of minorities negatively or not at all. There might be just white characters in a comedy and no characters from other racial or ethnic groups.

It is obvious that unfavorable stereotypes or the lack of role models in entertainment media can have an impact on children’s self-esteem. As a result, media may have an adverse cultural impact on a child’s development.

Child Life Specialist

A child life specialist is a professional with clinical training who works with families to address the developmental effects of severe sickness or injury. For instance, a child life expert may collaborate with families to assist kids in a hospital setting as they deal with stress or sickness. This approach include detecting stresses, promoting self-expression, and making sure that kids can speak up in stressful situations.

Child life experts may aid families from different cultural backgrounds by being aware of how the healthcare system addresses cultural diversity. A child life expert also recognizes the importance of trauma from sickness or injury in a kid’s development and works to lessen its effects while taking into consideration each child’s cultural background.

Mental Health Child Counselor

People with problems including behavioral disorders, substance misuse, anxiety, depression, and stress are treated by mental health counselors. They could work in a variety of places, such as government buildings, community care centers, and individual and family services. Mental health professionals can specialize in working with kids and families, assisting them in resolving mental health concerns, gaining access to services, and navigating treatment regimens.

Mental health professionals can more successfully assist children and families in identifying the source of their problems and resolving them by having a better awareness of the cultural impacts on child development.

Child Care Center

Directors of child care facilities create and oversee before- and after-school care programs, including educational and social activities. In order to manage these programs and engage with kids, directors also employ and train personnel. Child care center directors may support children outside of their homes, deal with problems as they emerge, and give working families the extra assistance they need in overseeing their children by having a thorough awareness of the cultural impacts on child development.

Social Worker

On an individual level, social workers help people and families deal with challenging circumstances including unemployment, sickness, and drug misuse. Clinical social workers are qualified to diagnose patients with mental health problems and take emergency action, including child abuse, in addition to offering these services. Social workers are aware of how cultural factors may affect development and behavior.

Social workers can also train in specialty areas, including the following:

Family and children’s social work.
For instance, helping kids find local child care resources or navigate the adoption or foster care systems.
Social work in schools
Choosing a therapist for pupils with behavioral concerns, for instance
Social work with mental health
An illustration would be matching anxious or depressed youngsters with a psychiatrist or support group.
Social work in health care

Giving children support during hospital visits and diagnoses, for instance

All social workers have received training in understanding the influences on people’s conduct, including their early life experiences and potential cultural influences. For instance, if a kid is acting out at school, a social worker may take into account how cultural factors at home may affect how the child is accepted by classmates or behaves in the face of demanding academic requirements like competition or teamwork.

Conclusion

If you observe that your child is facing mental issues like development delays, anxiety, depression or any other disorder you must consult a Child Counselor that can help your child to overcome these symptoms. On time counseling is must for the children you can opt online counseling platform like TalktoAngel: they have highly qualified and experienced child counsellors that help in overall well being of the child and their future.