Is it time to detach from attachment theory? Perspectives from the West African rain forest

Attachment and Culture

“…Similarly, Gottlieb (2004, in press) has presented extensive evidence that after birth Beng babies from the Ivory Coast typically see the mother, a grandmother, often an aunt, and perhaps one or two other female kin: The newborn’s social circle widens dramatically almost immediately following the birth. As soon as an infant emerges from the mother’s womb, assuming the baby appears healthy, while one of the older women present washes the newborn, someone else from the mother’s family walks around the village as a messenger, announcing the baby’s arrival to members of every village household.…”

“…However, there are examples from non-Western cultural contexts that offer a different perspective: To the Beng people of Cote d’Ivoire in West Africa, the concept of the dangerous stranger is virtually unknown; instead, the Beng conceive of strangers as neutral at least, but mostly as welcoming (Gottlieb, 2004, in press). Beng parents teach their children to behave in a friendly manner toward strangers, and infants are socialized into welcoming strangers from early on when newborn Beng infants are introduced to many different people on their first day of life.…”

“…The publication of John Bowlby’s trilogy of “Attachment and Loss,” with the first volume “Attachment” being published in 1969, marked the beginning of an unprecedented success story of a scientific theory that influenced not only basic research but also various fields of application substantially. More than 20,000 journal articles on attachment are listed in EBSCO, an international electronic research database (see also Gottlieb, in press). Counseling families with small children is mainly based on attachment theory as are many family support programs, like, for example, STEEP (for steps toward effective, enjoyable parenting) (Erickson & Egeland, 2004).…”

Reconsidering Attachment in Context of Culture: Review of Attachment Studies in Japan

“…For example, with a provocative title for the chapter, "Is it time to detach from attachment theory?" Gottlieb (2014) argues attachment theory does not apply to children of the Beng people of the Ivory Coast because they may form attachment to multiple people, including unrelated strangers because they are socialized not to fear strangers. In this cultural context, stranger equals guest and visits from strangers are believed to "house benevolent spirits" (Gottlieb, 2014, p. 190), and thus are valued.…”

“…Another collaborative work can be possible if attachment were to be assessed, employing traditional attachment measures and the indigenous measure of attachment devised from within the culture (e.g., Gottlieb, 2014;Otto, 2014;Rothbaum et al, 2000b). With collaborations -perhaps via data sharing or measures converging -attachment researchers and anthropologists or cultural psychologists could conduct culturally sensitive attachment studies, utilizing attachment researchers' training in assessment and analyses and anthropologists/cultural psychologists' expertise in culture.…”