Discuss cultural variation in attachment.
1. Van Injendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988)
A01: secure attachment is the most common, greater differences within the country than
between countries.
A03: results suggest that secure attachment is the best for healthy social and emotional
development, cultural similarities suggest that attachment is a biological and innate process.
Support Bowlby's theory and further support from Tronick (1992) who found that despite a
different childrearing system, people in an African tribe showed one primary attachment.
2. However, there are issues with cross-cultural research
A01: Japan had the most insecure-resistant
A03: Strange situation is based on Western idea of secure attachment. Tahakashi - infants
were scared of being left alone. Independence is more favourable in collectivist cultures.
What is considered healthy attachment differs. Imposing cultural norms - ethnocentric
methodology. Behaviours that differ from American culture may be considered abnormal but
they are due to cultural differences.
3. Countries not Cultures
A03: Within each country many subcultures, each can have different childrearing practices.
In Tokyo found similar distribution of attachment to Western studies, a more rural area - a lot
of insecure - resistant. Findings may not represent "cultural variations" because an individual
sample is not representative of a particular culture.
4. Similarities may not be innate but rather a consequence of a global culture.
A03: Globalisation of media. Media resources, TV, books spread ideas about parenting so as
a result children all over the world are exposed to the same experiences. This, the cultural
similarities may not be due to the fact that attachment is biological but because of our
increasing global culture. Contradicts Bowlby and using Van's research to support it.
1. Van Injendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988)
A01: secure attachment is the most common, greater differences within the country than
between countries.
A03: results suggest that secure attachment is the best for healthy social and emotional
development, cultural similarities suggest that attachment is a biological and innate process.
Support Bowlby's theory and further support from Tronick (1992) who found that despite a
different childrearing system, people in an African tribe showed one primary attachment.
2. However, there are issues with cross-cultural research
A01: Japan had the most insecure-resistant
A03: Strange situation is based on Western idea of secure attachment. Tahakashi - infants
were scared of being left alone. Independence is more favourable in collectivist cultures.
What is considered healthy attachment differs. Imposing cultural norms - ethnocentric
methodology. Behaviours that differ from American culture may be considered abnormal but
they are due to cultural differences.
3. Countries not Cultures
A03: Within each country many subcultures, each can have different childrearing practices.
In Tokyo found similar distribution of attachment to Western studies, a more rural area - a lot
of insecure - resistant. Findings may not represent "cultural variations" because an individual
sample is not representative of a particular culture.
4. Similarities may not be innate but rather a consequence of a global culture.
A03: Globalisation of media. Media resources, TV, books spread ideas about parenting so as
a result children all over the world are exposed to the same experiences. This, the cultural
similarities may not be due to the fact that attachment is biological but because of our
increasing global culture. Contradicts Bowlby and using Van's research to support it.
