This book responds to the absence of a comprehensive consideration of the implications of culture for children's peer relationships. Although research in this field has burgeoned in recent years, cultural issues have often been overlooked. The chapters tap such issues as the impact of social circumstances and cultural values on peer relationships, culturally prescribed socialization patterns and processes, emotional experience and regulation in peer interactions, children's social behaviors in peer interactions, cultural aspects of friendships, and peer influences on social and school adjustment in cultural context. The authors incorporate into their discussions findings from research programs using multiple methodologies, including both qualitative (e.g., interviewing, ethnographic and observational) and quantitative (e.g., large scale surveys, standardized questionnaires) approaches, based on a wide range of ages of children in cultures from East to West and from South to North (Asia, South America, the Mid-East, Southern Europe, and ethnic groups in the US).
Author(s): Xinyin Chen, Doran C. French, Barry H. Schneider
Series: Cambridge Studies in Social and Emotional Development
Edition: 1
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Year: 2006
Language: English
Pages: 537
Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 5
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
Contents......Page 9
Contributors......Page 13
Introduction......Page 17
1 Culture and Peer Relationships......Page 19
Cultural Involvement in Individual Functioning and Social
Relationships: Theoretical Perspectives......Page 20
Cultural Imprint on Peer Relationships......Page 23
The Regulatory Role of Culturally Organized Peer Relationships in Human Development......Page 26
The Organization of the Book......Page 28
Part i Culture and Peer Relationships: Theoretical and Methodological Issues......Page 37
2 Children's Social Behaviors and Peer
Interactions in Diverse Cultures......Page 39
Early Parental Scripts for Children's Peer Relationships......Page 42
Children's Increasingly Active Role in the Socialization Process......Page 47
Socialization Process......Page 49
Children's Active Role in their Long-Term Developmental Outcomes......Page 51
Social Change as a Source of Stress and Opportunity for Childhood Peers......Page 54
Conclusions......Page 60
3 Cultural Influences on Peer Relations:
An Ecological Perspective......Page 68
Issues in Examining Culture and Peer Relations From an Ecological Perspective......Page 69
Cultural Assumptions and Beliefs: Three Contrasting Macrosystems......Page 70
The Maisin of Papua New Guinea......Page 71
Parents' Workplaces......Page 73
Parents' Networks......Page 74
Exosystems and Maisin Culture......Page 76
Families and Neighborhoods......Page 77
Mesosystems in Maisin Culture......Page 78
Parenting and Peer Relations......Page 79
Child Care and Peer Relations......Page 80
Neighborhoods and Peer Relations......Page 81
Summaries: The Ecology of Peer Relations for U.S., Swedish,
and Maisin Children......Page 82
Time in the Ecology of Children's Peer Relations......Page 83
Conclusions......Page 84
Comparing Cultures – Measurement......Page 91
Comparing Cultures – Differences in Mean Levels and Variances......Page 94
Comparing Cultures – Differences in Processes......Page 97
Analyzing Interculture Interaction – The Social Relations Model......Page 98
Other Analytic Approaches......Page 106
Conclusions and Future Directions......Page 107
Notes......Page 108
5 Qualitative Research on Children's Peer
Relations in Cultural Context......Page 112
Ethnography......Page 113
Individual and Group Interviewing......Page 117
Children's Peer Relationships in Cultural Context......Page 119
Children's Friendships......Page 120
Children's Bodies and Nonverbal and Verbal Play Routines......Page 123
Children's Fantasy Play, Language Play, and Sharing Rituals......Page 125
Children's Experience of Gender......Page 126
Conclusion......Page 130
References......Page 132
Part ii Temperamental and Emotional Influences on Peer Relationships......Page 137
6 Temperament, Socioemotional Functioning, and Peer Relationships in Chinese and North American Children......Page 139
Social Initiative and Self-Control in Cultural Context:
A Conceptual Model......Page 140
Shyness–Inhibition and Peer Relationships in Chinese
and North American Children......Page 143
Shyness–Inhibition in Toddlerhood: Cross-Cultural Differences
in Prevalence and Parental Attitudes......Page 144
Shyness–Inhibition and Peer Interactions in Early Childhood......Page 146
Shyness–Inhibition in Middle and Late Childhood: Relations With Peer
Relationships and Social and Psychological Adjustment......Page 150
The Impact of Social Change on Individual Functioning and Peer Relationships......Page 153
Conclusions and Future Directions......Page 156
7 Emotional Aspects of Peer Relations Among Children in Rural Nepal......Page 164
Nepalese Society......Page 165
Culture and Emotion......Page 167
Between-Group Cultural Similarities......Page 168
Differences in Religious Values......Page 169
Differences in Cultural Practices......Page 171
Differences in Majority/Minority Group Status......Page 172
Peer Relationships and Emotions Across Three Cultures......Page 174
Empirical Evidence on Emotions in Peer Interactions......Page 176
Epilogue......Page 180
References......Page 182
Emotion-Related Regulation/Control: Conceptual Distinctions......Page 186
Emotion-Related Regulation/Control, Quality of Social
Functioning, and Culture......Page 189
Research in China......Page 193
Data on the Relations of Parenting to Chinese Children's Emotion-Related
Regulation and Social Functioning......Page 197
Research in Indonesia......Page 198
Data on the Relation of Effortful Control to Quality of Indonesian
Children's Social Functioning......Page 200
Data on the Relation of Parenting to Quality of Indonesian Children's
Effortful Control and Social Functioning......Page 202
France......Page 203
Data on the Relation of Parenting to Quality of French Children's Effortful
or Reactive Control and Social Functioning......Page 204
Relations of Effortful and Reactive Control to French Youths'
Social Competence......Page 205
Conclusions and Methodological Challenges......Page 207
References......Page 208
Commentary I......Page 215
9 Temperamental and Emotional Influences on Peer Relationships......Page 217
References......Page 224
Part iii Peers and Parents......Page 227
10 Parenting and Peer-Group Behavior
in Cultural Context......Page 229
Challenges of Cross-Cultural Research......Page 230
Subtypes of Aggression: Cross-Cultural Evidence......Page 231
Subtypes of Withdrawal: Cross-Cultural Evidence......Page 233
Sociable Peer Group Behavior......Page 236
Culturally Relevant Parenting Constructs......Page 237
Considering Culturally Indigenous Parenting......Page 240
Parental Beliefs and Perceptions Regarding Child Aggression......Page 243
Parenting Behaviors Linked to Child Aggression......Page 245
Parental Beliefs and Perceptions Regarding Child Withdrawal......Page 248
Parenting Behaviors Linked to Child Withdrawal......Page 249
Parenting Behaviors Linked to Child Sociability......Page 251
Conclusion......Page 252
Acknowledgments......Page 253
References......Page 254
11 Real and Symbolic Entry of Children in the Social World of Peers and Parent–Child Interactions: Cultural and Cross-Cultura......Page 263
Parent–Child Interactions and Children's Entry
in the Social World of Peers......Page 265
Symbolic Entry of Children in the Social World Outside the Family......Page 274
Concluding Remarks......Page 276
References......Page 277
12 Culture, Family Contexts, and Children's
Coping Strategies in Peer Interactions......Page 280
A Framework for Examining Stress and Coping in Cultural Settings......Page 281
The Family Environment......Page 283
Children's Temperament......Page 285
A Biocultural Model......Page 286
Mainland China: A Diversifying Cultural Context......Page 288
Description of the Study......Page 290
Conclusions and Future Directions......Page 293
References......Page 294
Part iv Peer Interactions and Social Behaviors......Page 297
13 The Cultural Organization of Yucatec Mayan
Children's Social Interactions......Page 299
Why Peer Interaction Needs to Be Studied as a Culturally Specific Construct......Page 300
The Cultural Specificity of Children's Interactions: The Case
of the Yucatec Maya......Page 302
A Brief Ethnographic Overview of the Yucatec Maya......Page 303
Yucatec Maya Adults' Social Lives......Page 305
Socialization Beliefs and Practices......Page 309
The Everyday Social Life of Yucatec Mayan Children......Page 312
Differences in Early Social Experiences......Page 315
Differences in Social Interaction With Friends and Siblings......Page 316
Differences in Developmental Outcomes......Page 317
Unpacking the Concept of Friendship......Page 318
14 Cross-Cultural Differences in Competition
Among Children and Adolescents......Page 326
Definitions of Competition......Page 327
Understanding Both Between-Culture Differences
and the Social Forces Operating Within Cultures......Page 329
Literature Review......Page 334
A Four-Nation Study of Multiple Dimensions of Competition......Page 344
References......Page 349
15 Ethnic Peer Victimization and Psychological
Well-Being Among Early Adolescents......Page 355
The Dutch Context......Page 357
Experiences With Ethnic Name-Calling and Social Exclusion......Page 358
Experiences With Ethnic Victimization......Page 360
Multicultural Education......Page 362
Ethnic Victimization and Intergroup Attitudes......Page 363
Ethnic Victimization and Self-Esteem......Page 365
Ethnic and Personal Victimization......Page 366
Social and Cultural Threats and Sources......Page 369
Conclusions......Page 372
Commentary II......Page 381
16 On Hand-Holding, Spit, and the "Big Tickets": A Commentary on Research from
a Cultural Perspective......Page 383
Domain Theory and Cultural Universals......Page 384
"Big-Ticket" Constructs and Everyday Behavior......Page 385
Some Final Remarks......Page 389
References......Page 391
Part v Friendships......Page 393
17 Friendships of Indonesian, South Korean, and U.S. Youth: Exclusivity, Intimacy, Enhancement of Worth,
and Conflict......Page 395
Indonesia......Page 396
Methodology......Page 397
Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment......Page 398
Generalization Within and Across Cultures......Page 399
Exclusivity of Friendships......Page 400
Friendship Provisions......Page 402
Conflict......Page 407
Theories of Culture and Friendship......Page 409
Directions for Further Research......Page 411
Methodology......Page 412
References......Page 414
18 The Cultural Practice of Close Friendships Among Urban Adolescents in the United States......Page 419
The Cultural Practice of Friendships......Page 420
Theoretical and Empirical Background......Page 421
The Relationships Among Peers (R. A. P.) Studies......Page 422
Methodology......Page 423
Sharing secrets......Page 425
Sharing Money......Page 426
Protection from Harm......Page 427
Providing and Receiving Help......Page 428
The Family-Friend Connection......Page 429
The Context of Distrust......Page 430
Friendships in Cultural Context......Page 432
References......Page 438
19 Latino-Heritage Adolescents' Friendships......Page 442
Culture and Adolescent Development......Page 443
History and Characteristics of Latinos Living in the United States......Page 449
U.S. Latino Adolescents' Friendships......Page 451
The Intersection Between Family and Friendships......Page 452
The Role of Friendships in Latino-Heritage Adolescents'
Educational Pathways......Page 455
The Quality of Latino-Heritage Adolescents' Friendships......Page 458
Conclusions and Future Directions for Research......Page 461
References......Page 462
20 The Cultural Context of Children and Adolescents: Peer Relationships and Intimate Friendships Among Arab and Jewish Children in Israel......Page 468
Intimate Friendship......Page 469
Cultural Dimensions of Friendships......Page 470
Collectivistic Features of Israeli Arab Society......Page 471
Ecological Variations Within the Arab Culture......Page 472
Variations Within the Jewish Group......Page 473
Ecological Features of the Israeli Kibbutz......Page 474
Overlap of Kin and Friends in Rural Settings......Page 476
Friendship, Gender, and Collectivistic Culture......Page 479
Exclusive Dyadic Intimacy in Kibbutzim......Page 480
An Explicitly Recognized Social Norm: Preference for the In-Group
at the Expense of the Dyad......Page 481
Possible Reasons for Reduced Dyadic Intimate Friendship and Exclusiveness in These Collectivistic Societies......Page 482
Friendships Among Kibbutz Children and Among Arab Children:
Can the Two Cultures Be Compared?......Page 483
Cooperating, Avoiding Conflict, and Conforming......Page 484
Negative Interactions With Peers......Page 485
Summary......Page 486
Conclusions, a Model, and Further Research......Page 487
References......Page 489
Commentary III......Page 495
21 Peers and Culture: Details, Local Knowledge, and Essentials......Page 497
Acknowledgments......Page 502
Conclusion......Page 503
Equivalence and Biases in Cross-Cultural Comparisons......Page 505
The Contribution of Developmental Psychology to the Study of Culture......Page 509
Methodological Decisions of the Chapter Authors......Page 511
A Look Toward the Future......Page 513
References......Page 515
Author Index......Page 517
Subject Index......Page 523
