Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Cascades from culture inform beliefs and norms that guide childrearing, resulting in diverse experiences that shape developmental outcomes. This article explores the influence of cultural beliefs and childrearing practices on infant development, focusing on the traditional gahvora cradling practice in Tajikistan. Cradling in gahvoras involves movement restriction, providing a unique model for investigating how early physical constraints shape developmental trajectories and challenging conventional theories that emphasize the necessity of continuous, unrestricted movement. By situating motor development within a broader social and cultural framework, this article highlights the importance of considering cultural context in developmental research. Despite these physical constraints, infants exhibit adaptive motor activity when unbound, suggesting a flexible and resilient developmental system. These practices illuminate the dynamic interplay of physical, social, and cultural factors, revealing how diverse early experiences shape developmental outcomes.
Author: Lana B. Karasik
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Funder: National Science Foundation
OpenAlex ID: W4407891271