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Culture and Development

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yusuf talha bozkurt
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This chapter was about the way culture affects the development and there were many terms like intracultural variance, action autonomy, quasi dialogues, alloparents and more. I just want to talk about some parts that interested me the most. 

Text mentions that there are many communities like the ones in Efe or Zaire in which newborns are held, carried, and even nursed by multiple women, spending more time with others than their biological mother. It also offers a cooperative breeding model which shows survival depended on alloparents. I wonder how applicable the theories like the Oedipus complex and attachment theories are in the context of multiple caretakers since these theories assume a single caretaker. Probably not very much, which is curious considering how popular is the attachment theory and how much the Oedipus Complex is used in media.

It is told in the chapter that fertility and mortality is related. As the mortality rises, so does the fertility. I remembered the information that sex drive increases after funerals and disasters. I researched it and found an article that suggests fertility increases after physical diseases like earthquakes and avalanches but this isn’t the case with high number of cases caused by the diseases (Lee, Batyra, Castro, & Wilde, 2023).

“Being able to spend time alone is considered to be the basis of the development of identity and therefore a conception of self as an independent agent.”  tells the text and I used to think about this a lot too whenever I went to my village or visit my relatives at İzmir.  In both places there is such a collective culture that they can almost never be alone. They’re always helping each other, taking care of each others childs and this is in such a state that most of them are never able to stay alone. This is also very apparent in their characters since they look alike, think similar, laugh similar and joke in similar ways too like a collective identity.

The article tested how the cultural contexts shape preschoolers self regulation and comparing German middle class children and Cameroonian children. Cameroonian children turned out to be better at controlling oneself and this is because they are acting according to their social practices. I thought farming as an occupation definitely affected this outcome since it requires a lot of patience.

Lee DS, Batyra E, Castro A, Wilde J. 2023 Human fertility after a disaster: a systematic literature review. Proc. R. Soc. B 290: 20230211. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.0211

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2 responses to “Culture and Development”

  1. e214218 Avatar
    e214218

    This reflection is incredibly engaging! I appreciate how you’ve linked the chapter’s concepts to your personal experiences and wider cultural trends. The reference to alloparents in societies like the Efe and Zaire is intriguing, particularly your exploration of how theories such as attachment or the Oedipus complex align with these environments. It’s indeed the case that these theories might appear less relevant in collectivist or communal caregiving arrangements, prompting us to reconsider their universality. Your thoughts on fertility and mortality are stimulating, particularly regarding the connection to increases in fertility following disasters. It raises questions about how much of this phenomenon is driven by evolutionary factors versus cultural influences. The distinction between collective and individualistic cultures, especially as reflected in your personal experiences in İzmir and your village, is quite striking. Your portrayal of shared identities in collectivist cultures is impactful—it clearly demonstrates how interconnectedness can influence personality and social behaviors. Lastly, the comparison of self-regulation observed in German and Cameroonian preschoolers is illuminating. Your connection between farming and the development of patience offers a sharp insight, showcasing how profoundly culture and everyday habits shape development.

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  2. yusuf talha bozkurt Avatar
    yusuf talha bozkurt

    Culture and Development (Revised):
    This chapter focused on how culture influences development, introducing concepts like intracultural variance, action autonomy, quasi-dialogues, and alloparents. I’d like to highlight a few parts that resonated most with me.
    One fascinating point was about communities like the Efe or Zaire, where newborns are cared for, carried, and even nursed by multiple women. In these contexts, babies often spend more time with others than their biological mothers. The chapter proposed a cooperative breeding model, emphasizing how survival historically depended on alloparents. This made me question how applicable theories like the Oedipus complex and attachment theory are in such environments. Both assume a single, primary caregiver, yet societies with multiple caretakers might render these theories less relevant. It’s intriguing to reflect on the popularity of attachment theory and the continued portrayal of the Oedipus complex in media despite these cultural variances.
    The chapter also discussed the relationship between fertility and mortality, noting that higher mortality rates are often accompanied by increased fertility. This reminded me of the notion that sex drive tends to rise after funerals or disasters. I researched this and found a study suggesting that fertility spikes after physical disasters like earthquakes or avalanches, though not when mortality is driven by widespread disease (Lee, Batyra, Castro, & Wilde, 2023). It’s a complex phenomenon, likely blending evolutionary instincts with cultural responses to loss.
    Another idea that stood out was the assertion that the ability to spend time alone is crucial for developing an independent identity. I’ve reflected on this during visits to my village and relatives in İzmir. In both places, the collective culture is so strong that solitude is rare. People constantly help one another, care for each other’s children, and are almost never alone. This shared way of life shapes a kind of collective identity, evident in how people think, laugh, and joke in strikingly similar ways.
    Finally, the chapter examined how cultural contexts shape self-regulation in preschoolers, comparing German middle-class children with Cameroonian children. Cameroonian children showed stronger self-regulation, attributed to their social practices. This result made me think of how farming, as an occupation, demands patience and long-term planning. It likely influences not only self-regulation but broader developmental patterns in such communities.
    Overall, this chapter showed how deeply culture intertwines with human development, challenging the universality of some psychological theories and the role of environment and daily practices in shaping identity.
    Reference:
    Lee, D. S., Batyra, E., Castro, A., & Wilde, J. (2023). Human fertility after a disaster: a systematic literature review. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 290(20230211). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.021

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