Biran Mertan Eastern Mediterranean University Northern Cyprus
XIIth Eurapean Conference on Developmental Psychology University of La Laguna, 24-28 August 2005
CHILD-REARING: SOCIAL-CONTEXTUAL APPROACH Biran Mertan Eastern Mediterranean University
The role of parents knowledge and skills regarding child rearing, has been studied for many years in the Western Industrialized countries. In North Cyprus such studies are new (Mertan, 2003). In this current research the following questions will be explored. Does parents knowledge and skills regarding child rearing influence child development? How do factors outside the home influence this early development (e.g. cultural values, socio-economic status, maternal work, social networks, relatives, friends, neighbors, experts, etc)? How does maternal anxiety influence early development? The participants were mothers of 150 children whose ages varied between 12-62 months with a mean of 40;8 and a Standard deviation of 12;4 months. Mothers were selected and recruited by using the snowball technique. The mothers were given the selfadministered questionnaire comprised of demographic information, child rearing practices, living arrangements, social environment and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The results will be discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical implications.
Overview Studies on child rearing practices and non-parental care mainly from the Western industrialized countries.