Children's Experience During Cultural Change

Abstract

The process of globalization is widespread, with consequences for social and psychological development. Cultural changes associated with globalization are manifested in children's experiences—how they spend their time, interact with one another, and learn about the world. To illustrate, in this article, we describe findings from research that examined children's behaviors when formal schooling is established, the economic base changes, and small‐scale traditional communities incorporate elements from industrialized societies. The effect of cultural change on children's development is a bidirectional process, and certain characteristics of childhood may make young people more likely to be early adopters of resources that are introduced during change. We conclude by stressing the need for more research and theory on children's contribution to cultural change.

Culture and Cognitive Development

“…In a recent paper on social change, Gauvain and Munroe (2019) conclude: “The effect of cultural change on children’s development is a bidirectional process, and certain characteristics of childhood may make young people more likely to be early adopters of resources that are introduced during change” (in Summary).…”

“…A correlation was found between cooking on open fires and cognitive performance; exposure to open fires influenced (negatively) children’s activity level and potential to explore, and learn about, the environment. Children in communities with more industrial elements performed more optimally on all measures, even when years of schooling are controlled (Gauvain & Munroe, 2019).…”