Buch, Englisch, 166 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm
Ethnocentrism, Science, and Child Development
Buch, Englisch, 166 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm
ISBN: 978-1-041-13899-0
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd
Drawing on decades of cross-cultural research, Heidi Keller reveals how attachment theory is rooted in WEIRD societies representing less than 10% of humanity, despite claims to universality. Through rigorous analysis, she systematically deconstructs core assumptions, demonstrating how a culturally specific model has been inappropriately universalised and exposing fundamental scientific flaws.
Keller presents compelling ethnographic evidence from diverse cultural communities, revealing multiple valid pathways to forming secure relationships that attachment theory fails to recognise. She shows how feeding practices, cultural learning, and community-based caregiving create strong bonds that don't fit the Western dyadic mother-child model. Beyond theoretical critique, she examines the real-world consequences of attachment theory's dominance in parenting interventions across the Global South, family court custody decisions, and early childhood education programs, demonstrating how these applications, presented as evidence-based, often pathologise non-WEIRD parenting practices and impose inappropriate standards on diverse families.
This groundbreaking work calls for nothing less than the decolonisation of developmental science, advocating for culturally conscious research that respects local knowledge, embraces methodological diversity, and abandons the search for universal developmental pathways. Keller provides concrete steps toward achieving truly inclusive and ethical research practices that honour the full spectrum of human development. Essential reading for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in child development, education, social work, and international development—a transformative analysis that will fundamentally reshape your understanding of child development and culture.
Zielgruppe
Academic, Postgraduate, Professional Reference, and Undergraduate Advanced
Autoren/Hrsg.
Fachgebiete
- Sozialwissenschaften Ethnologie | Volkskunde Volkskunde
- Sozialwissenschaften Pädagogik Pädagogik Pädagogik: Sachbuch, Ratgeber
- Sozialwissenschaften Psychologie Allgemeine Psychologie Entwicklungspsychologie Kinder- und Jugendpsychologie
- Sozialwissenschaften Psychologie Allgemeine Psychologie Sozialpsychologie Kulturpsychologie, Ethnopsychologie
Weitere Infos & Material
Part 1. Setting the Stage. Chapter 1. Who is Psychology About? Chapter 2. The Universality Assumption. Chapter 3. The Concept of Context. Chapter 4. The Conception of Culture. Chapter 5. Variability of Children's Learning Environments. 5.1 Interactional dynamics across cultural communities. 5.2 Similarities and Differences. Chapter 6. Implications for Culture Conscious Research. Part 2. Attachment Theory: Science and Reality. Chapter 7. History and Core Assumptions of Attachment Theory. The origins and history of attachment theory. What is attachment? The basic assumptions of attachment theory. 7.4 Critical evaluation of the core assumptions. Chapter 8. The Ethnocentric Bias of Attachment Theory. Chapter 9. Different Avenues to Develop Attachment Relationships. Chapter 10. Is attachment theory a scientific theory at all? Chapter 11. Concluding evaluation of attachment theory. Part 3. Attachment and the Applied Field: More Areas of Construction. Chapter 12. Parenting Interventions. Chapter 13. Family Court Decisions and Child Custody. Chapter 14. Early Pedagogics. Part 4. Problems of Change. Chapter 15. Ignorance and resistance. Chapter 16. The stairway to change. Chapter 17. Outlook. References.
