Impact of ethinic differences in child rearing on personailty/cultural differences - Essay Example

Discussion There have been a plethora of studies and extensive research over the child development and the development phases of human. The concept of nature and nurture help us understand that the development of individuals are different and this disparity in personalities is seen to be beyond the scope of psychology and more related to the moral, political, physiological, ethical, social and educational influences. There have been a number of controversies and debates regarding the influences over a person that cause the changes in personality and behavior.

Through the course of history there have been differences in the traditions, values, styles and beliefs in various ethnic groups. As these ethnic groups have come about living in the same vicinities, the changes in the behavior and character of children display the different ways of child rearing accepted by different ethnic groups. According to the bioecological model of development proposed by Psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner, there are a number of environmental factors that affect child development among which family remains a imperative aspect.

Parenting styles differ from family to family as parents tend to develop their own style of parenting based on a combination of factors. These styles may evolve over time as the child grows up. There have been theories pertaining to parenting styles. One of the well known theories is by Diana Baumrind which claims that parents lie in three categories namely, authoritarian, indulgent and authoritative. Authoritarian being autocratic and telling children what to do, indulgent are those that give the children the freedom to do whatever they want while authoritative are those that devise a set of rules that have to be followed and are not overbearing.

When contrasting the western culture with the Asian we can see that the American style of child rearing is more focused on independence. They train children to think for themselves and give them the autonomy to make their own decision and choices in most cases. American family structure has changed over time, the concept of joint families is hardly seen and there is an increasing percentage of single parents raising the children. As time progresses there are changes in the size, structure, earning potential and expectations of families.

Children born after 2000 are more likely to be raised by single parents, witness parent divorces and face certain amount of stress in early ages as compared to the children that were born 50 years ago. However, in other cases, the parents now are more educated, living in nuclear families and often both the parents are working and earning for the family. (Halfon et al.) Child rearing in American families has roots in certain sects of Christianity. While American ethnicities rely on freedom and independence, Asian cultures of child rearing are quite the opposite.

A study over expectation of parents in different ethnicities revealed that while parents in America yearn for early acquirement of skills such as independent actions, standing up for one’s own rights, and other forms of verbal assertions, the Asian parents on the contrary, expect mastery of the skills of self-control, discipline, social courtesy towards adults and compliance with the authority of adults. Furthermore, Asian parents train their children to be competent in dealing with adult authority through fostering emotional