It Starts At Home: Letting Children Collaborate | Dr. Barbara Rogoff | TEDxSantaCruz

Summary

This talk highlights the importance of children's involvement in collaborative activities at home, contrasting the segregated lifestyle of middle-class children in the U.S. with the more integrated approach in Mayan communities. It emphasizes the dignity and value derived from contribution and the challenges faced by middle-class families in fostering collaboration. The speaker suggests that including children in household tasks without assigning individual chores can promote a sense of family unity and develop essential skills for teamwork and initiative.

Takeaways

• 🧑‍🔬 Research in a Mayan community in Guatemala has shown that children are competent and collaborative, even in challenging circumstances.
• 🏠 Middle-class children in the United States are often segregated from community life, which began about a century ago with compulsory schooling and child labor laws.
• 👶 Children naturally want to contribute and help out, as evidenced by examples of a three-year-old in Peru and the speaker's grandson.
• 🏡 Middle-class children in the U.S. are less likely to help at home voluntarily, often requiring chores and rewards, which can be a source of family stress.
• 🤔 There is a puzzle as to why middle-class children do not continue to help as they grow up, despite their innate desire to contribute.
• 🌎 Children in other communities, such as Mexico, are more likely to help at home without being asked, indicating cultural differences in parenting and values.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Parents in Mexico value their children's contributions and support their initiative, fostering a collaborative spirit from a young age.
• 🔄 Skills learned at home, such as collaboration, are carried over into other settings, benefiting children in activities like school projects.
• 🤝 Middle-class European-American children often divide activities or take turns, which does not foster the same level of collaboration as seen in children from other backgrounds.
• 👨‍👩‍👧 Parents can foster collaboration at home by working together with their children, valuing their contributions, and treating helping as a normal family activity.
• 🌟 The speaker emphasizes the importance of children contributing and collaborating for their development, effective teamwork, harmonious relationships, and world peace.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the speaker's research in the Mayan community in Guatemala?

The speaker's research focuses on the competence and collaborative nature of children in the Mayan community and how it contrasts with middle-class life in the United States.

Why does the speaker suggest that the segregation of children from community life has gone too far?

The speaker believes that while the initial segregation of children from working in factories was important, it has been taken too far to the point where children spend most of their time in adult-controlled settings, limiting their opportunities to contribute and learn collaboration.

What is the connection between children's contribution and their sense of human dignity and value?

The speaker posits that making a contribution is a source of human dignity and value, and the lack of opportunity to contribute can negatively impact a child's sense of self-worth.

Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of collaboration for children's development and the world's challenges?

Collaboration is an essential skill for children's development and is crucial for addressing global challenges, as it fosters a sense of community and the ability to work together effectively.

What is the general attitude of middle-class children towards helping out at home according to the speaker?

Middle-class children generally do not help much at home voluntarily, often requiring parents to assign chores, use charts, and sometimes offer rewards or punishments for compliance.

How do children in other communities, such as in Mexico, differ in their willingness to help at home?

Children in other communities, like Mexico, are more likely to help at home without being asked, and their parents value and include their contributions, supporting the children's initiative.

What is the role of the parents in fostering children's collaboration skills at home according to the script?

Parents play a crucial role by including children in household tasks, valuing their contributions, supporting their initiative, and treating helping as a normal part of family life.

How does the speaker describe the behavior of middle-class European-American children in collaborative activities compared to children of Mexican heritage?

Middle-class European-American children often divide activities or take turns without sharing ideas, while children of Mexican heritage are more likely to collaborate, share ideas, and work together.

What are some of the skills children learn from helping at home that contribute to their ability to collaborate?

Children learn to align with others, be alert to their surroundings, considerate of others' efforts, and take initiative to help without being asked.

What is the speaker's final call to action for parents and the community regarding children's involvement and contribution?

The speaker calls for parents and the community to include children, give them opportunities to contribute, and learn to collaborate, which is essential for their development and the world's harmony.