Rwandan infant caregiving: Promoting a culture of peace

Abstract

Globalization has necessitated the need for applied developmental research in non-Western environments. Research on human development indigenous to areas in sub-Saharan Africa has largely focused on environmental contexts of the child as contributors to development, yet little is known about the transactional relationships between parenting goals, early caregiving practices, and their impact on caregiver well-being. An ecocultural model of development identifies universal developmental pathways characterized by concepts of autonomy and relatedness where child development is organized by socialization goals, parenting ethnotheories, and strategies situated within different environmental contexts. The current mixed-method research examines the parenting beliefs and socialization goals of Rwandan infant caregivers. Results of the study identify parenting goals and beliefs that support peacebuilding and promotion of Rwandan culture. Implications of this study contribute to a cultural understanding of child development in sub-Saharan Africa and broaden the early child development research to include Rwandan cultural norms in order to influence culturally responsive early childhood programs and policies.