Early Socio-Emotional Development of Cameroonian Nso Farmer Children

Abstract

Our chapter illustrates the cultural specificities of early socio-emotional development in Cameroonian Nso children. We introduce the cultural models of autonomy and relatedness as a conceptual framework to explain different belief and meaning systems shared by different cultural groups. Utilizing a non-normative approach, we investigate Cameroonian Nso parental beliefs, their parenting practices, and their children’s formation of attachment relationships. Our data reveals that the Cameroonian Nso have a strong orientation toward hierarchical relatedness: Nso parents value obedience, respect, and the development of social responsibility in children; communal caregiving fosters the integration of Nso infants into the wider social community, and infants spend a lot of time with multiple caregivers; moreover, they are actively trained not to cry or show negative emotional responses. As a result, children develop multiple attachment relationships, often with other caregivers beside their mothers. When separated from the mother and confronted with a stranger, the majority of Nso children do not express distress, but remain calm. These findings are in clear contrast to middle-class families and their orientation toward psychological autonomy in their socialization goals, caregiving strategies, and resulting attachment patterns. Moreover, these results question the usefulness of psychological research and applied therapeutic work for non-Western communities, as most studies and programs are informed by and tailored to the needs of middle-class families and their ideal of instilling autonomy in children.