11/4/14 8:05 AMPsychological Anthropology Incorporate cross-cultural perspective

Fundamental to Western understanding late 19th century early 20th century a Freudian view of human development.

What is normal? How do social relationships affect well-being? How does socialization create persons? Socialization: human development, structures of cultural reproduction, childhood, aging, learning influence of parents

Psychological Universals-Have a concept of self-Recognize individuals-Discern others intentions from observable clues in their faces, utterances, and actions.-Imagine what others are thinking-Empathize with others-Facially recognize, communicate, mimic, or hide emotions-Play for fun-Show and feel affection for others-Feel similar childhood fears

Early Research on Emotional Developmental Margaret Mead Bronislaw Malinowski Derek Freeman & Melford Spiro said that Mead and Malinowsky over-simplified things Alice Schlegel & Herbert Barry

Research on Cognitive Development A lot of research has been done on when various cognitive abilities develop in children While there are cross-cultural similarities in the early stages, things get more complicated and less comparable over the lifespan The trouble with IQ tests -Originally assumed to be genetic -Originally assumed to be fixed over a lifetime -Environmental differences -Cultural differences IQ is NOT Genetic -Urban/Rural differences -Differences between European countries IQ is NOT fixed -IQ changes over the lifespan -The bar keeps shifting to keep the average at 100 Environmental Differences -Altering the environment can change the results -As rural areas became more urbanized, they gained the resources normally seen in urban/suburban areas, their IQs went up-As resources were pulled from urban/suburban areas, their IQs went down Cultural Differences -What constitutes intelligence in other cultures? -Kpelle society Past views on childhoos-Kids just perceived as receptors of socialization-Not actors not even necessarily people-Nowadays, children increasing viewed as agents and actors, have their own culture

Socialization The development of patterns of behavior, attitudes, and values in children that conform to cultural expectations through the influence of parents and other people

Explaining Variation in Childhood & Beyond-Different general belief systems about children-Adaptational explanations

Parents Belief Systems-Ethnotheories: culturally patterned ideas about how children should be treated and what kinds of children they want to raise

Adaptational Explanations-Some anthropologists hypothesize that childrearing practices are adaptive

Parental Responsiveness-Time to respond and amount of time held vary widely across cultures. Beliefs about self-calming, self-regulation compared with expectation that baby needs adult intervention and physical contact.-Adaptive hypothesis in preindustrial societies infant mortality 20% first year of life and safety concerns.

Parent-Child Play-Enforced time spent together (Inuit)-Yucatee A quiet baby is a healthy baby lull to sleep-Ifaluk, Caroline Islands,