Effects of Culture on Children - Research Paper Example

Download file to see previous pages... To better exemplify the effect of culture on children, it is vital to understand that society is governed by culture that sets the standards and rules that determine the diverse social functions including behavior and child rearing. As a matter of fact, culture sets the environment through which children are born in and subsequently nurtured; this determines how the children are handled, oriented and taught at the very early stage of their lives. Therefore, culture is the first background environment that a child interacts with and which influences the overall personal, character and social development of a child. Consequently, culture determines the beliefs and norms of parents, family, and society which constitute the first instructors of a child. Hence, culture determines how the parents, family, and society handles children which further influences how the children come to perceive life later on in their adulthood. Therefore, culture determines the social norms, perceptions, and perspectives of thought and practice that influence the environment and people around the child who through their roles eventually determine the destiny of the children. Background Information When underscoring the effect of culture on children, two distinct parameters emanate that influence the discussion of how culture influences the lives of children2. First is the aspect of social growth and development, which is represented by the way society interacts with the child in an informal manner that determines the child’s overall personal and social growth. Culture determines the thinking, attitudes, perceptions and behavior of children, which is reflected in the way society treats the child. Psychologically, children store whatever they learn or experience during childhood and it affects their attitudes and perception later in life. In other words, children become what society made them to become through informal social interaction during childhood. Subsequently, the learning process of children is equally influenced by cultural perceptions that set the background for learning and cognitive development. It is a proven fact that cultural perceptions, norms and notions affect the learning process of children. To this effect, several cultural dimensions are included in the learning process to assist children learn fast. Therefore, culture significantly affects children learning capability. Through its effects on children’s learning capabilities along with its effect on the social and personal development of children at an informal level, culture plays a defining role in determining the development of children. As a result, the nature of a person is determined by the sum total of cultural effects upon his or her life more so during childhood. An adult is a combination of the cultural experiences and backgrounds that combine to blend an individual’s frame of mind. The effects of culture on children is extensive in the sense that it constitutes the general impact on a child’s mind as well as behavioral patterns that are passed by society to the children through informal interactions. Similarly, social rules and customs set the purview of indulgence that determines the moral, ethical, and practical background of children that eventually determines their personal, psychological and social development. Owing to the fact that children at the infancy state are open to learning and experience; culture fills this vacuum with an established way of life and general approach to reality which ...Download file to see next pagesRead More