This article, by drawing on examples from sociology, anthropology and geography, argues that childhood studies is generally a multi-disciplinary field rather than inter-disciplinary. It emphasises that childhood studies could benefit from greater dialogue between its sub-disciplines as well as with those outside academia. While advances have been…

Traditional courses in developmental psychology treat the development of white, middle-class European American children as normative. This approach offers an inaccurate representation of child development, displays a lack of sensitivity towards the cultural diversity of students, and fails to meet these students' intellectual needs. This paper…

This article explores the distinction between etic and emic approaches to research, which are defined as the study of human behavior from outside a given system (etic) and from inside the system (emic). These concepts can help researchers and practitioners understand the social and linguistic differences of children from varied cultural…

Discusses some initial steps that are essential toward developing understanding and appreciation of American Indians. Lists some of the priorities necessary for making it possible for Indian children to gain a proper education. (RK)

This special issue presents papers on socialization and individual development in Mexico and West Africa and among Mexican Americans and African Americans in the United States. Explains cross-cultural influences on development and highlights conflicts between the values of different cultures. Examines some implications of the ideas presented in…

Discusses the development of identity and socially biased attitudes in young children and adolescents. By the time a child is nine years old, biased attitudes tend to stay constant unless there is a life-changing event. The importance of a coherent multicultural curriculum from earliest day care is emphasized. (SLD)

A study investigated the attitudes of Japanese breastfeeding mothers in the South Bay area in Los Angeles. The sample consisted of 20 Japanese mothers over the age of 18 who were born in Japan, who recently came to the United States, and whose youngest child has been breastfed for at least 6 months. Subjects were interviewed in their native…

This paper describes the development of Turkish Children and Mothers, a project designed to help 5-year-old preschoolers in the Ruhr Valley of Germany develop linguistic, motor, cognitive, and social abilities. The paper also describes various aspects of the project, including those that relate to maternal involvement, educational facilities, the…

The most recent evidence available indicates that prejudice against minorities and women is still widespread in America. Schools have not only failed to combat these prejudices, but they have often served to actively promote them. Textbooks generally ignore the position of minority Americans in contemporary life and often discuss minority history…

Earlier research on girls in a single-sex private school found that girls at adolescence tend to lose a sense of self and undergo a developmental crisis that inhibits their self-expression. This report focuses on 26 girls in grades 8 and 9 from poor and working class backgrounds. The unique concerns of these girls from different races and cultures…

This paper describes the development of Turkish Children and Mothers, a project designed to help 5-year-old preschoolers in the Ruhr Valley of Germany develop linguistic, motor, cognitive, and social abilities. The paper also describes various aspects of the project, including those that relate to maternal involvement, educational facilities, the…

Written for a 1988 bilateral United Kingdom-West German conference, the chapters in this volume examine childhood and youth as socially constructed life stages within the context of contemporary social and cultural change. Following the editors' introduction are 14 papers: "What Does the Future Hold? Youth and Sociocultural Change in the…

A modified version of the Societal, Attitudinal, Familial, and Environmental Acculturative Stress Scale (SAFE) was administered to 71 Latino and Euramerican children aged 8-10 from southern California. Despite being U.S.-born, Latino children experienced significantly more acculturative stress than their Euramerican peers, thereby helping to…

This special supplement presents two background papers, three working papers, and key recommendations from a conference on culture and chronic illness in childhood. The meeting had as its goal the identification of the state of knowledge on the interface among culture, chronic illness, child development, and family functioning, for the purpose of…

This document presents three papers on multicultural education in early childhood, followed by a selected ERIC bibliography on the same subject. The first paper, "Multicultural Approaches in Education: A German Experience," by Carmen Treppte, describes the development of Turkish Children and Mothers, a project designed to help…