It is interesting to see how combining evolutionary anthropologists and child psychiatrists can improve children’s mental health and education by adopting hunter-gatherer parenting practices that people living in developed countries have lost. A new study has emerged that provides insight.
Given that humans spent more than 95% of their evolutionary history as hunter-gatherers, it makes sense to study how the withdrawal from hunter-gatherer lifestyles affected children’s development. It is well known that skin-to-skin contact between parents and children has significant health benefits, but what about other parenting techniques commonly found in hunter-gatherer societies?
Evolutionary anthropologist Dr. Nikhil Chaudhary turned to observations of the BaYaka people in Congo and extensive anthropological studies of other hunter-gatherer societies for answers. He worked with child psychiatrist Dr. Annie Swanepoel to explore childcare practices in hunter-gatherer societies and in societies called Western Educated Industrialized Affluent Democracies (WEIRD) societies. compared.
Babies raised in hunter-gatherer societies experience very high levels of physical contact. They are held in a sling for most of her day, breastfed as needed for up to four years, and share a bed throughout childhood. Infant cries are responded to much more quickly than in WEIRD societies, and scolding is very rare.
However, the WEIRD society has its own advantages. Although about 40% of hunter-gatherer children die before her 15th birthday, WEIRD society is a much safer environment to raise children.
The communal living aspect of hunter-gatherer societies means that more people step into the caregiver role. This is due to the availability of alloparents, i.e. caregivers who are not parents. They note that relying on alloparents to take over childcare roles may help reduce parental burnout in WEIRD societies.
“Parents now have far less parenting support from family and social networks than they likely have for most of our evolutionary history,” Chaudhary said. Making other caregivers available can reduce the negative effects of stress within the nuclear family and the risk of maternal depression, which has knock-on effects on children’s health and cognitive development.”
In hunter-gatherer societies, pre-adolescent children are often given the responsibility of raising children. In some communities, children as young as four take care of young children. In contrast, WEIRD societies employ a nanny or babysitter, usually in her late teens, to care for her children. In addition, most queer children of parenting age in hunter-gatherer societies attend school. In other words, they cannot assume this responsibility.
“But we should at least explore the possibility of older siblings playing a greater role in supporting their parents, which may also facilitate their own social development.
Regarding education, researchers refer to the active learning model found in hunter-gatherer societies. In this model, children aged 2 to her 16 spend time learning from each other through play and exploration. They encourage the movement to bring this kind of learning to developed countries.
“Fundamentally, among hunter-gatherers, learning and play are two sides of the same coin, which contrasts with the schooltime/playtime dichotomy of WEIRD education,” the researchers said.
Current research suggests that hunter-gatherer parenting approaches improve children’s resilience and independence, and that active learning approaches are associated with reduced stress and increased motivation and performance. However, researchers admit that this approach is not fully compatible with socioeconomic systems in developed countries.
Large households with three or four generations living under one roof are not uncommon. It is found among the indigenous peoples of Asia, the Middle East, India, Central and South America, America, the Pacific Islands, and Australia. According to the PEW Research Center, in 2019 he was one in 10 North Americans who lived with extended families.
Further research is needed to examine whether there is a mismatch between the mental health and development of children in hunter-gatherer societies and developed countries. Researchers hope for continued collaboration between experts in the fields of psychiatry and evolutionary anthropology to advance our understanding of this important issue.
This research Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
Source: University of Cambridge
