Understanding Differences in Caregiving Practices—Feeding and Sleeping Introduction

   In Chapter 4 of Diversity in Early Care and Education, Janet Gonzalez-Mena introduces an individualist-collectivist framework as a means of understanding differences. In your own words, define individualismand collectivism. Then, explain why it would be useful to think of attitudes or behaviors related to the care of infants and toddlers in terms of a continuum—with individualism at one end and collectivism at the other—rather than to think of the people involved as either individualists or collectivists. 

Required Resources

• Course Text: Diversity in Early Care and Education
  • Chapter 2, "Communicating across Cultures" (pp. 31–32 only)
  • Chapter 4, "A Framework for Understanding Differences"
    
• Course Text: How Culture Shapes Social-Emotional Development
  • Read pp. 13–16, "Exploring and Learning From the Environment"
    
• Article: Phillips, C. B., & Cooper, R. M. (1992). Cultural dimensions of feeding relationships. In The caregiver's companion: Readings and professional resources - Infants, toddlers, and caregivers (pp. 95–101). Washington, DC: Zero to Three.
  Reproduced with permission of Zero to Three in the format Scan via Copyright Clearance Center.
  
  
  • Complete the full reading for this week.
    
• Article: Gonzalez-Mena, J., & Bhavnagri, N. P. (1992). Cultural differences in sleeping practices. In The caregiver's companion: Readings and professional resources—Infants, toddlers, and caregivers (pp. 103–106). Washington, DC: Zero to Three.
  Reproduced with permission of Zero to Three in the format Scan via Copyright Clearance Center.
  
  • Complete the full reading for this week.