Cultural Factors That Affect a Childs Wellness - Essay Example

Infants develop their cognitive senses and take in a great deal of information about the world around them. Between 8-12 months, infants begin to exhibit language skills, attentional control, and behavioral inhibition. The period of 2 to 17 months is the most critical time for physical development, because several motor milestones are acquired, that allow their increased interaction within the world. Jean Piaget’s theory of the four stages of Cognitive development suggests that childhood, infancy, and toddlerhood comprise the most critical stages in cognitive development (Bjorklund & Blasi, 2011, P.55). From the out-of-sight and out-of-mind stage, infants start learning about how things work, walking, picking up things, and language. Toilet training and object permanence are also accomplished. Psychological analyst Erik Erikson believes that behavioral development is attained through eight crisis stages starting from infancy. According to Erik, “During infancy and toddlerhood, we address questions about our basic abilities and independence, and learn to trust or mistrust others” (Mann & Götz, 2006, P.343). The period of 0 to 1 year is most critical for developing a basic trust or mistrust. From 1 to 3 years, the baby develops motor and mental abilities, which creates the feeling of independence. Egocentrism commences from two-year age and strengthens over time. A child’s identity shapes up and socializing starts during toddlerhood. The counselor must understand how to deal with the crises properly and guide the parents and caregivers appropriately on the positive role they need to play. If the babies do not receive proper love, care, nutrition, and interaction, they might end up becoming fearful, unhealthy, mistrusting, and harbor doubts about their inadequacy. Infants with a positive temperament are less likely to be affected by risk factors and perceive their world more positively later in toddlerhood.

Cultural Factors

 Shame and Doubt: Toddlerhood marks the emergence of self-recognition in the child, and initiates the critical phase of toilet training. During the training, negative emotions like shame and doubt can plague a kid’s cognitive environment. “Shame generally originates in an interpersonal interaction in which a child is made to feel embarrassed or ridiculed for behaving in a stupid, thoughtless, and clumsy manner” (Newman & Newman, 2011, P. 224). Some cultural factors influence these emotions in a child because every culture has its specific traditions and rules regarding toilet training. For instance, the initiation and the method of progressing towards this training largely depend on the culture being followed. Some cultures require the child to realize the need for disposing of the waste products himself, while some require parents to take control. Too much stress on this training and harsh reaction to the child’s failure could damage the child’s emotional health. The situation worsens when the child experiences a sudden public display of anger from the family, over tolerable mistakes like wetting pants or spilling milk. In cultures that support social control, parents are strict, controlling, cold, persuasive, and intrusive, due to which the child develops shame and doubt. If the child is made to realize that he cannot master a specific talent, feelings of inferiority, self-doubt, and shame emerge.
Autonomy:  A child starts navigating the tensions between self and others from the second year onwards. With his new-found capacities of walking and talking, the toddler begins to explore the environment and evolves from a dependent infant, into a more independent, mobile, verbal, and inquisitive member of the family. He is either successful in untying from others and gaining some mastery over his world or feels injured or punished if the parents are too neglectful or too unkind and demanding. Several cultural factors influence this phase. In some societies, kids are expected to become independent early on and stop relying on parents or caregivers. While in some traditional societies, the culture of interdependence prevails. These diversities have a profound effect at the time when a child begins self-realization. The cultural diversities in co-sleeping practices, encouragement of independence or interdependence, the behavior of peers or older siblings, and promotion of replicating habits determine values about autonomy and interrelatedness. The forms of play and types of stories that parents tell young children within a given culture not only allow alternative views of reality but allow varying degrees of important intermediate zones of experience (Newman & Newman, 2011, P. 223).

Resiliency and Wellness: The most probable cultural factor that affects a child’s wellness is the family’s financial status (Newman & Newman, 2011, P. 228-229). Poverty affects the child-parent relationship, his physical and mental growth, and the child’s perspective of society. Protection from environmental dangers, proper nutrition, and a healthy social environment reduces health risks and support wellness. Cultural factors that affect resiliency include influences exerted by peers, obsessive insistence on various everyday rituals, and overall family atmosphere. Kids from different backgrounds have diverse stressors and protective factors that affect their overall well-being (Newman & Newman, 2011, P. 226).