Childhood in Different Cultures

Abstract

The perception of childhood as a period of dependence and innocence has a long history. Being strongly associated with the Romantic Movement of eighteenth-century Europe it resonates with more recent Western theories of child development, ideas about child rearing and policies relating to the care and education of children. The advent of a global society, however, demands that we examine and reflect on our own belief systems and those which inform our individual and institutional practices with children. This chapter begins with a discussion of globalisation and culture (see Chapter 4) and then sets out reasons why a cross-cultural understanding of childhood, children and child rearing is a prerequisite for any form of intervention in children’s lives. Understanding the importance of culture can challenge our own preconceived ideas
about childhood in a global context and help us to determine what we expect from children and their place and rights in society.