Odden and Rochat (2004)

Background

In Samoan culture status differences between adults and children are huge compared to western standards (high power distance index) children are not likely to ask adults questions. adults normally do not instruct children, though children often accompany their parents to social events and work. parents expect children to observe and to learn. Samoan children are largely left to learn things on their own without adults attempting to motivate or organize their learning. as fishing lines, spears, and nets are limited, children do not practice fishing with adults.

Aim

to investigate how Samoan children were 'enculturated' by obersving their parents, other adults, older siblings, and peers (the role of social cognitive learning on the development of cultural norms in Samoa)

Participants

28 children (4-12 years) in a single Samoan village (as well as their caretakers and other adults surrounding these children)

Procedure

the researchers carried out a longitudinal study for 25 months researchers observed children in different contexts and conducted semi-structured interviews with adults and children the researchers looked at the behavior of line fishing and conceptual understanding of rank and hierarchy the also carried out a multiple-choice test

Results

researchers found through interviews that many of the children's skills (household chores like cooking and washing and fishing) had been acquired through observational learning. they found that young males spent a lot of time watching the adult males fish, receiving no direct instruction. they also found that children of around 10 years old would borrow the adults' fishing equipment and experiment on their own without any adult supervision. by age 12, most children were able to fish on their own children were skilled and learned from observation of adults and older children. Samoan children could learn rather abstract concepts by observing and listening to adults the children also had a reasonably good understanding of the complex hierarchal system although no one had taught them. it appeared that they also learned social rules regarding how to behave with people of higher rank according to observational learning as well. the children had a broad understanding of the concepts and the rituals of their society (according to multiple choice test)

Conclusion

it appears that cultural norms are not taught directly, but rather learned through the active observation by the children of the adults in the community although other cultures may have fewer status differences between parents and children, and although parents may tell and teach children about different aspects of their culture, it can be assumed that observational learning also plays a role in enculturation elsewhere

Method

method triangulation (longitudinal - interviews and observation)

Critical thinking: ethical considerations

the study was mostly ethical as there was presumably informed consent, the participants were not deceived, their identities remained confidential, they were debriefed, they could withdraw, and they were protected from harm

How does this study demonstrate the aspects of enculturation?

this study clearly illustrates the aspects of enculturation of the behavior of fishing as Samoa identifies as a collectivist (group-centric) culture, meaning that there is a high power difference. while this influences the navigation of relationships (rooted in the inequality of the social hierarchy), the results imply that children resort to observational learning (based on the lack of communication between the superior adult and inferior child) by observing and ultimately imitating a role model according to oblique, vertical, and horizontal cultural transmission. the findings thus reinforce that child training practices encourage observational learning and participatory learning situations, rooted in the (in)direct tuition from role models.