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Guest Essay 03/02/2025

Cultural diversity and the social and emotional development of young children in early childhood

Author: Lynn Ang, Professor, UCL Institute of Education, UCL, UK

Early childhood is critical in laying the foundations for young children’s development. During this period, the notion of ‘culture’ – defined as the values, norms and practices that are distinct to a particular society – has a profound influence on children’s social and emotional development, including how they think, learn and behave.

Studies in cultural anthropology on childhoods (LeVine & New, 2008) have helped us to understand how culture plays an important role in shaping children’s social and emotional behaviour, attitudes and socialisation from infancy to adulthood. Developmental theorists and psychologists have long recognised the complex role of culture in affecting children’s social and emotional functioning and dispositions (Lamb & Lerner, 2015).

Social and emotional skills include a person’s ability to manage their emotions and build positive relationships with others in order to function positively in society. During early childhood, these early dispositions and characteristics serve as a basis for enabling children to become compassionate and empathetic individuals as they grow into adolescence and young adults. As encapsulated in the Shaping Us Framework report, having the social and emotional skills to appreciate cultural diversity, people and communities of different backgrounds is therefore fundamental for all societies around the world.

Indeed, cultural beliefs, values and norms contribute to overall identity formation and play a vital role in influencing how our youngest children develop positive social and emotional dispositions. Children develop early language and communication skills through interactions with their families and communities. There has been significant interest in exploring children’s social and emotional development in cross-cultural contexts (Rothbart, 2011; Edwards, 2000). In some cultures, the overt expression of emotions is highly valued, while the restraint of emotions is considered more socially acceptable in others. These variations in socio-cultural norms and expectations shape children’s early dispositions and self-regulation of emotions, and influence how they react to social situations and regulate their behavioural and emotional reactions, especially in challenging circumstances.

In my field of early education and international development, I see examples from around the world of the crucial role that early childhood educators play in shaping children’s social and emotional development. Schools and early childhood settings are important environments that influence the values, beliefs, and practices that shape young children’s sense of identity, belonging and understanding of the world. It is therefore important that educators acquire the relevant knowledge and skills to create culturally sensitive environments that are safe, warm and welcoming spaces that are supportive of all children.

A crucial element is developing classroom strategies that allows every child to feel valued and respected. This requires educators to reflect critically on their own practice including inherent biases and prejudices to effectively interact with children and families whose cultural backgrounds may be different from their own. Early childhood educators can create an inclusive and supportive learning environment by:

  • Providing opportunities for children to learn about different cultures and nurturing an appreciation and respect of the myriad differences between people and communities.
  • Learning about different cultural values, beliefs, and practices of the children and families who attend the settings and promoting positive interactions among all children.
  • Embedding diversity into the curriculum and everyday routines of the setting such as celebrating cultural festivals, reading books about different cultures, and encouraging children to share and learn from each other about their cultures, languages, stories and traditions.

We live in an increasingly complex world that is rapidly evolving with new societal advancements and challenges that directly impact on children, young people and wider communities. The early childhood phase is a pivotal moment to nurture the essential social and emotional skills that will enable children to grow into confident, responsive and resilient individuals and will contribute positively to their overall well-being and future. Moving forwards, further research on the extent to which cultural beliefs and practices are associated with specific aspects of early development will help enhance our knowledge of the role of culture in children’s social and emotional development.

References

Edwards, C.P. (2000) Children’s play in cross-cultural perspective: A new look at the Six Culture Study. Cross-Cultural Research .34(3):318-338. 

Lamb, M.E. and Lerner, R.M, eds. (2015) Handbook of child psychology and developmental science: Socioemotional processes. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, pp794-841. 

LeVine, R.A. and New, R.S., eds. (2008). Anthropology and Child Development: A Cross-Cultural Reader. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers. New York: Wiley-Blackwell.  

Rothbart, M.K. (2011) Becoming who we are: Temperament and personality in development. New York: Guilford Press.