Socio-economic climate.

The home climate and broader socio-economic environment have primary effects on child development. Some cultural environments require the development of motor skills at an earlier age since such learning contribute to coping with harsher environments. For example the motor skills of African infants develop several months earlier than in comparable groups of white children, and different techniques are used to encourage walking (Gardiner et al, 1998). We know that birth death rates vary by culture and country reflecting different socio-economic circumstances and different social values about medical treatment for the poor and disadvantaged. When many children die at birth or in infancy mothers and family will focus their attention on creating the optimal conditions for survival and there is little time for other developmental tasks beneficial to children. In many societies there is little possibility for parents to foster the cultural or spiritual development of children as the harshness of the socio-economic environment direct parental attention totally on day by day survival.

Although the U.S. is commonly defined as an affluent society there is relatively low social acceptance of medical treatment as a common human right, whereas the reverse is true in Cuba a relatively poor country with nevertheless equal access to quality medical science and treatment. Within the United States there are large differences in medical access by people driven by costs and socio-economic differences. These health-related differences in child care may well produce long term consequences not only for well-being, but also for the child’s sense of security and view of the world as dangerous or benign.

Date: 2015-01-11; view: 662