Human Developement

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Culture and society have profound influences on a child’s growth and development and are important considerations for early childhood teachers if they wish to better understand children and provide higher quality early childhood education and services to children and their families, (Te Whaariki, Ministry of Education, 1996). One particular example of the effect that culture and society can have on the growth and development of a child is child-rearing practices. Different cultural groups and societies have diverse styles of child-rearing practices which are uniquely influenced by a range of values, beliefs and dominate assumptions (Berk, 2003). A significant factor in view of child-rearing practices is the role
If a child has many varied opportunities to practice and extend their physical skills within their microsystems this will encourage the child’s overall physical development, (Berk, 2003). The Mesosystems refer’s to the interconnections between the microsettings, such as the relationships between a child’s caregivers and preschool teachers or a child’s caregivers and their extended family and friends. These relationships have a significant effect on the child’s development in relation to social and emotional growth and development, (Papalia and Olds, 1998). If a caregiver has positive relationships in the mesosystem they not only role model positive interactions and the development of relationships for the child, but are more likely to have support systems and thus reduced stress levels, which help increase warmth towards and involvement with the child and decrease parental harshness and inconsistency, which from a child rearing perspective, can produce negative consequences for a child’s emotional and social development, such as disobedience, rebellion,

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demanding and dependant behaviour and poor persistence with tasks, (Berk, 2003). When a child is witness to positive interactions between a caregiver and a teacher, or other people in the child’s Mesosystem, it can serve as an example for how positive relationships are formed and maintained, (Rogoff, 2003). If however the relationships between the child’s Microsystems are not