Ethnopediatrics
Ethnopediatrics is a branch of research devoted to understanding the child-rearing practices of families around the world and throughout time. This relatively new field is informed by traditional disciplines like child development research, anthropology, psychology, and pediatrics.
Origins
In October 1994, Carol M. Worthman conducted a workshop at Emory University introducing this new field. The workshop was attended by participants from psychology, pediatrics, public health, and anthropology. The impetus was the growing understanding that health care improvements can be made more effective when all the affecting cultural influences are taken into account.Cultural analysis
The ethnopediatric perspective analyzes the effects of a culture on a child's health and well-being by asking these questions:- What are the culture's attitudes and beliefs towards illness and wellness?
- What are the culture's patterns of addressing symptoms of illness?
- What are the culture's experiences and familiarity with a particular disease or a set of symptoms?
- What are its ideas of the developmental stages that children move through?
- How much does the culture value children? And which aspects of development are most valued