The Role of Culture in parenting styles: A Comparative study of Sami and Maasai Childrearing and its relation to the Right of the Child
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Abstract
Parenting represents one of the mechanisms through which children can learn inappropriate and appropriate behaviors, make wrong and right choices in making decisions, understand roles, acquire skills and accept or refuse community norms. However, parenting has been a contentious topic because no single prescriptive book exists to show parents childrearing techniques. Thus, for some parents, parenting can be a challenge. The main objective of this study is to investigate how culture influence childrearing/parenting in Sami and Maasai cultures and how their child rearing styles can relate to the rights listed in Convention on the Right of the Child. Baumrind's parenting styles and the Convention of the Right of the Child are used as the theoretical framework to guide the analysis. In addition, this thesis uses text-based analysis inspired by the concept of meta-ethnography as a departure point to enhance the study of the findings.
The paper found that both cultures (the Maasai and Sami) have unique parenting techniques that are guided by culture and do not precisely align with the four Baumrind's parenting styles. For instance, the Maasai people's childrearing practices primarily emphasize teaching children responsibility starting from age four.
On the other hand, in general the Sami people adopt a "rule-free" or "independence" or self-regulation style that gives children freedom, such as having a say in deciding when to sleep, what to wear, and when to eat. This style also uses indirect strategies to avoid confrontations between parents and children. Also, both groups' parenting styles and practices align with the four children's rights that the paper focused on, including rights to education, parents' responsibility, and respect for children's views. However, this is not the same case for some Maasai adhere to more traditional ways, including denying girls access to education but educating boys and exposing girls to sexual exploitation and discrimination.