Parenting in South American and African Contexts

Abstract

Values, beliefs, goals, ethno-theories, and childrearing practices are part of children´s developmental niche [1].They vary between cultures and across diverse contexts in specific cultures.Parental styles also vary in different families in the same cultural context depending on socio-demographic characteristics such as educational level of its members.We need to understand aspects of those niches in order to explain development and developmental trajectories.Generally, this is part of studies in parenting and there is an extensive literature in this subject.However, most of the studies are from a minority of countries populations [2] from North America and Europe.This book has nine chapters and it aims at contributing to the literature, presenting data from African and South American contexts, such as Brazil, Colombia, Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia and Nigeria.Brazilian studies are from a variety of contexts across the country.XII Preface nent".I believe that this contribution goes beyond that and that it may help us promote child development in general.Akinsola´s chapter -Cultural variations in parenting styles in the majority world: Evidences from Nigeria and Cameroon -contributes with further data from African countries, this time about parental styles in Nigeria and Cameroon.She points out that in Nigeria all the three single parenting styles discussed in the literature (authoritarian, authoritative and permissive) are observed.However, the emphasis is on obedience to authority and compliance with parental instructions.The author explains this tendency as a result of the collectivist, hierarchical and patriarchal model of Nigerian society, with values of respect for elders and authority figures.Parental authority is central and the father is the head of the family.However such demands for obedience and compliance with orders are balanced by responsiveness, love, care, sensitivity, reciprocal dialogue, and explanations for parental disciplinary actions.This combination leads Nigerian children to perceive their parents as both authoritative and authoritarian.In this chapter we also learn that Cameroon is a collectivistic society with different ethnic groups and parents present somewhat different cultural models from the Nigerian ones.Although diversity is observed between ethnic groups, certain values are common, including the importance attributed to learning by example / observation and through play.The predominant family pattern in Cameroon is the patrilineal and extended or joint family which is argued to foster interdependence.The author focuses on Nsos who live in the Anglophone sector of Cameroon.She describes childrearing practices emphasizing relationship.To this group of Cameroonians, good parenting involves parents monitoring, instructing, training, directing and controlling infants' activities.Both the permissive and authoritarian parenting styles are reported.It is discussed that although Nigeria and Cameroon are both collectivistic societies, they present different parenting styles which are effective for each group.Amos points out the importance of the consistency of parenting behaviors in relation to cultural values, and how the positive or negative child development outcome related to a particular parenting style depends on the culture.Costa, Afonso, Santos and Ramos present data about a Brazilian context in their chapter -Parenting in Amazonian riverside context.They studied two families from different communities.One of them is located at Araraiana's riverside and it is more isolated than the other, which is located near the city of Belém.In the first community, the population has little or no access to written media, television or radio, in the other, city life is available within 15 minutes by boat.Both Amazonian riverside communities live from the river and smallscale agricultural production.The Survey of Family Routines -SFR, adapted to use of the communities studied, was administered to all members of the participant families with the request that they describe the activities performed in the day previous to the interview, and the routine of the last Sunday.Family activities were described, identifying family tasks and who performs them, as well as the moments of meeting, of close coexistence or isolation.Similarities and differences were found between the two families indicating a more traditional way of family life and one that shows a transition to an urban model.Cavalcante and Magalhães discuss values and beliefs from two generations in their chapter: Socialization goals of mothers and grandmothers of children in institutional shelter situation in the north of Brazil.Their data is also from an Amazonian context, the city of Belém.The authors discuss how in Brazil, nowadays, there are thousands of children in shelter institu-Preface XIII This set of chapters brings a contribution to the literature on parenting, presenting theoretical models that consider the biological and cultural nature of this process and evidence from a sample of countries from the "majority world".We hope that our readers find them useful for the development of more research projects dealing with the populations from countries from this part of the world and inspiring for the construction and implementation of good intervention programs that promote healthy development of children.

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