watch documentary Babies, 2010 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq7MGfVAeV8. let me know if you dont have access. we can rent.
While watching the documentary, "Babies," take note of your observations, reactions, and judgement about each of the families.
- Consider how your cultural lens, cultural norms, and cultural expectations about early infant and childhood development and families impact your beliefs about development and developmental theory.
- How do the stories of each family match/oppose your knowledge and beliefs about infant development, early childhood development, and families?
- Consider how your cultural lens, cultural norms, and cultural expectations about early infant and childhood development and families impact your beliefs about development and developmental theory.
- Include at least 2 links to assigned readings to support your thinking. (Chapter-10 of the uploaded book on Families)
Example of discussion by one of my classmate:
Drawing upon the video and my own experiences as a mother with two children in the early childhood developmental stages I was intrigued by the vastly different environments the children experienced and their relatively similar patterns of growth and development. Infant and early childhood development across the cultures in the video were almost all comparable even though families and environments were varied. However, while the environments and families were different each family had the presence of nurturing relationships. While the children from the rural areas of Namibia and Mongolia appeared to have less direct parental supervision than that of those from the urban areas of Tokyo and San Francisco, the love of their parents was clearly depicted. This aligns with my belief that the quality of relationships is among one of the most important factors in infant and early childhood development.
Through my cultural lens, norms, and expectations each stage of development should be carefully monitored and cultivated in order for healthy development to occur. This video broadened my lens to understand healthy development need not occur in a carefully constructed environment. Healthy development can occur in our natural environment where biological needs are met and support is present. This is supported by life span developmental theory, influenced by Erikson's model of human development, in which he and other life span theorists saw these models of development as universal, applying to all groups of people (Hutchinson, 2019,). This idea is also further supported by the broader developmental perspective in that human development is seen to occur in clearly defined stages based upon a complex interaction of biological, psychological, and social processes (Hutchison, 2019,). This video highlights the universality of human growth and development across the globe, in varying environments, families, and parenting styles.