Q1) Two cultural representations of infancy and early childhood.
The interactions between parents and infants are inherently cultural. The interaction between children and parents plays an imperative role in determining how a baby develops and experiences the world. The parents depicted in the film come from different cultural backgrounds hence are likely to socialize their children within the confines of the various cultures they live in.
Language plays an imperative role in facilitating the interactions between parents and infants. For example, in the film, the studies were carried in different world locations such as Tel-Aviv in Israel, Connecticut in the US, London in the UK and Calgary in Canada (Babies, 2020). In all cases, the parents interacted with the children in the main languages used within the countries. For instance, the parents in Tel-Aviv interacted with the children using the Hebrew language while in Canada, the US and the UK, the parents used the English language during an interaction.
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Q1) Compare and contrast children development from a socio-cultural and environmental perspective.
Similarities
In the film, the researchers found that in both mothers and fathers, oxytocin levels rise rapidly during pregnancy and after birth. Father’s experience the same levels of amygdala activation as mothers (Babies, 2020). While pregnancy, childbirth and nursing activate the maternal brain, it is also activated to the same extent by committed caregiving. This, therefore, explains the close attachment that mothers and fathers develop with their children.
Differences
In Bronfenbrenner’s view, child development is affected by the complex system of relationships within the surrounding environment. In the film, this perspective would view the family (parents) and cultural context as the main factors determining the formation of relationships between children and the environment.
On the other hand, based on Erick Erickson's stages of psychosocial development, infants fall within the stage of trust vs mistrust. This stage begins at birth and continues until the age of 18 months. At this stage, children are helpless and rely on their primary caregivers to thrive. When children receive consistent, reliable and predictable care, they develop a sense of trust and security. However, when children experience inconsistent, unpredictable and unreliable care, they develop mistrust, anxiety and suspicion. The film notes that committed caregiving and choosing to take care of an infant brings out feelings of trust.
Reference
Babies/ Love/ FULL EPISODE/ Netflix. April 17, 2020. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOv5jDFtvsI
