How Industrialization Changed Childhood | Dorsa Amir | TEDxCambridge

Summary

The speaker reflects on her fieldwork with the Shuar people in the Ecuadorian Amazon, observing their children's independence and self-sufficiency. She contrasts this with Western childhood, noting a rapid cultural shift that may have outpaced our evolutionary development. She discusses the 'evolutionary mismatch' and the importance of unstructured play in child development, suggesting that Western practices may inadvertently hinder the natural development of essential life skills.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Anthropology's goal is to make the unfamiliar familiar and vice versa, which became clear to the speaker through fieldwork with the Shuar people.
• 🌿 In small-scale societies like the Shuar, children are more independent, gathering food and preparing it for themselves and their siblings.
• 🏡 The culture shock of returning to the United States made the speaker realize how different childhood is in Western societies compared to foraging societies.
• 🔄 There's a rapid change in the concept of childhood due to environmental changes, leading to a state of evolutionary mismatch.
• 🧬 Cultural evolution outpaces genetic evolution, suggesting our minds and bodies might be optimized for a world that no longer exists.
• 👶 Childhood across many small-scale societies shares common patterns such as natural birth, breastfeeding, co-sleeping, and constant physical contact.
• 🔵 The Western society has deviated from these patterns with practices like C-sections, formula feeding, and valuing personal space.
• 👫 In small-scale societies, children form a complex mini-community with their own culture and leaders, which is crucial for their development.
• 🎓 Children learn essential life skills through play, which is a natural way for them to practice and perfect these skills.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Mixed-age play is beneficial as it allows children to teach and learn from each other, strengthening their skills.
• 🚫 Western practices may be undermining children's abilities to develop foundational skills like problem-solving by overly structuring their time and experiences.

Q & A

What was the primary goal of anthropology as mentioned in the script?

The primary goal of anthropology mentioned in the script is to make the strange familiar and the familiar strange.

Where did the speaker conduct their first fieldwork?

The speaker conducted their first fieldwork in the Ecuadorian Amazon, working with the Shuar, an indigenous population.

What did the speaker observe about childhood in the Shuar society?

The speaker observed that children in the Shuar society were more independent, often seen climbing trees for food, starting fires, preparing food, and using machetes confidently.

What was the unexpected culture shock experienced by the speaker?

The unexpected culture shock experienced by the speaker was upon returning to the United States, where the familiarity of home started to feel strange compared to the Shuar culture that had become more familiar.

What term is used to describe the rapid change in childhood in Western societies?

The term used to describe the rapid change in childhood in Western societies is 'evolutionary mismatch'.

How does the speaker suggest that cultural evolution differs from genetic evolution?

The speaker suggests that cultural evolution is much faster than genetic evolution, which can lead to a mismatch between our environment and our genes.

What common patterns does the speaker mention across small-scale societies like the Shuar?

Common patterns across small-scale societies include natural birth, breastfeeding for long periods, parents sleeping in the same room as children, and children being in constant physical contact with others.

Why is the child society in small-scale societies considered important for development?

The child society in small-scale societies is important for development because it allows children to learn a vast number of skills through unstructured play, teaching each other, and practicing foundational skills like creativity, determination, and problem-solving.

What are some of the differences the speaker notes between Western societies and small-scale societies in terms of child development?

In Western societies, children often spend time with peers of their own age in structured environments, whereas in small-scale societies, children are part of a mixed-age community with more unstructured play and less adult supervision.

What advice does the speaker give to counteract the effects of the mismatch environment in Western societies?

The speaker advises setting up more mixed-age play dates, giving children room to make mistakes, and allowing for more unstructured playtime to help children develop foundational skills.

How does the speaker suggest adults can also benefit from the lessons learned about child development?

The speaker suggests that adults can benefit by allowing themselves to make mistakes, spending time with people of different ages, and engaging in unstructured activities to continue their own development.

Outlines

00:00

🌳 Anthropology and Childhood in the Shuar Society

The speaker reflects on their experience as an anthropology graduate student, conducting fieldwork with the Shuar people in the Ecuadorian Amazon. They initially went there to study child development across cultures and had certain expectations about their trip, such as encountering bugs and navigating the jungle's rivers. What they didn't anticipate was the profound culture shock upon returning to the United States, where the Shuar's way of life felt more familiar than their own. The Shuar children's independence, termed 'free-range,' contrasted sharply with the changing dynamics of Western childhood. The speaker discusses the concept of 'evolutionary mismatch,' suggesting that our environment has changed so rapidly that our genes and cultural practices have not had time to adapt, leading to a potential misalignment with our evolutionary past.

05:00

🧒 The Importance of Child Society in Small-Scale Cultures

The speaker delves into the unique child society that exists within small-scale cultures like the Shuar, where children of all ages form a complex, mini-community with its own culture and leadership. This child society is crucial for development as it allows children to learn a vast array of skills necessary for adulthood, both technical and social, through unstructured play. The speaker contrasts this with Western societies where children are often in age-segregated environments and their time is highly structured by adults. The loss of mixed-age play and unstructured playtime in Western societies is seen as removing the 'training wheels to adulthood' that children have relied on for millennia, potentially leading to a less prepared generation facing new challenges.

10:00

🌟 Embracing Evolutionary Wisdom in Child Rearing

In the final paragraph, the speaker emphasizes the desire for children to be independent, confident, and adept problem solvers, yet notes that Western practices might be hindering these skills' development. They suggest that while it's challenging to study the long-term effects of rapid cultural changes, there are time-tested methods for raising children that have been used for thousands of years and may be more in tune with our evolutionary expectations. The speaker encourages setting up mixed-age play dates, allowing children to make mistakes, and providing more unstructured playtime. They extend this advice to adults as well, advocating for self-improvement through making mistakes, interacting with people of different ages, and embracing unstructured time, ultimately urging a broader perspective on child development informed by our evolutionary history.

Keywords

💡Anthropology

Anthropology is the study of human societies and cultures. In the video, anthropology is mentioned as a field that aims to make the strange familiar and the familiar strange, which refers to understanding and interpreting different cultures in a way that is relatable to one's own experiences. The speaker's fieldwork with the Shuar people in the Ecuadorian Amazon exemplifies this concept, as they learn about childhood in a vastly different cultural context.

💡Shuaar

The Shuar are an indigenous people living in the Ecuadorian Amazon. They are highlighted in the video as an example of a small-scale society that contrasts with Western culture. The speaker's observations of Shuar children's independence and self-sufficiency provide insights into how childhood and development might differ across cultures.

💡Cultural Evolution

Cultural evolution refers to the changes in human societies' behaviors, beliefs, and institutions over time. The video discusses how cultural evolution has outpaced genetic evolution, leading to an evolutionary mismatch where our minds and bodies may be optimized for a world that no longer exists. This concept is central to understanding the differences between childhood in the Shuar society and modern Western societies.

💡Evolutionary Mismatch

Evolutionary mismatch is a concept that suggests our environment has changed so rapidly that our genetic evolution has not had time to adapt. In the context of the video, this mismatch is used to explain why certain practices in Western societies might not align with our evolved psychological needs, potentially leading to negative consequences.

💡Child Society

A child society is a complex, mini-community of children within a larger adult society. The video describes how, in small-scale societies like the Shuar, children form their own society with unique cultures and leaders. This child society is crucial for their development as it allows them to learn and practice adult skills in a low-risk environment.

💡Unstructured Play

Unstructured play is a form of play where children engage in activities without adult intervention or a set structure. The video emphasizes the importance of unstructured play in allowing children to learn essential skills like problem-solving and creativity. It contrasts with the more structured playtime often found in Western societies.

💡Mixed-Age Play

Mixed-age play involves children of different ages playing together. The video suggests that mixed-age play is beneficial for child development as it allows for learning from peers and teaching others, which strengthens skills. This concept is exemplified by the Shuar children, who learn from each other in their child society.

💡Independence

Independence in the context of the video refers to the self-sufficiency and autonomy of children in small-scale societies. The Shuar children are described as 'free-range,' needing to perform tasks like gathering food and starting fires, which contrasts with the more sheltered upbringing of children in Western societies.

💡Naturalistic Fallacy

The naturalistic fallacy is the incorrect assumption that what is natural is morally good or desirable. The video speaker clarifies that just because something is natural doesn't mean it should be followed. This term is used to caution against the idea that reverting to past practices is always the best solution.

💡Personal Space

Personal space is the physical area around an individual that they consider their own. The video contrasts the value placed on personal space in Western societies with the more communal and physically close interactions in small-scale societies like the Shuar, where children are often in contact with others.

💡Micro-Managing

Micro-managing refers to the practice of closely controlling or overseeing every aspect of a situation. In the video, micro-managing is critiqued as a Western cultural practice that may hinder children's development by not allowing them the freedom to explore, make mistakes, and learn independently.

Highlights

Anthropology's goal is to make the strange familiar and the familiar strange.

Fieldwork with the Shuar in the Ecuadorian Amazon provided insights into childhood development across cultures.

Shua children exhibit independence from a young age, gathering food and preparing it for themselves.

Cultural shock was experienced upon returning to the United States, where the familiarity of home felt strange.

Children in foraging societies like the Shuar are 'free-range', unlike the more sheltered Western childhood.

Childhood has changed rapidly, leading to a potential evolutionary mismatch.

Cultural evolution outpaces genetic evolution, potentially leading to a world that our minds and bodies are not optimized for.

The Shuar's way of life may offer clues about past childhood environments, despite not being a prehistoric people.

Common patterns across small-scale societies include natural birth, breastfeeding, co-sleeping, and constant physical contact.

Western societies have seen changes in these patterns, with increased C-sections, formula feeding, and valuing personal space.

The practices that marked 99% of human history are now being rapidly replaced by more recent changes.

C-sections have life-saving benefits but may also have negative impacts on gut bacteria and immune system.

In small-scale societies, children form a complex mini-community with its own culture and leaders.

Children learn a vast number of skills through play, including technical and social skills.

Mixed-age play allows children to learn from one another, with younger kids benefiting from older kids' guidance.

Western societies' structured approach to children's development may undermine their ability to learn foundational skills.

The transition to college and choosing a career path can be difficult due to a lack of space for children to explore and learn independently.

Our cultural practices might be counterproductive to children's development of independence, confidence, and problem-solving abilities.

Long-term consequences of rapid cultural changes are hard to study, but traditional methods of child-rearing have been effective for millennia.

Recommendations for modern parenting include setting up mixed-age play dates and allowing more unstructured playtime.

Adults can also benefit from allowing themselves to make mistakes and engaging in unstructured activities.

Recognizing the strangeness of our familiar culture can provide valuable insights into our evolutionary history and its impact on development.

Transcripts

Transcriber: mohamed Al-Dose Reviewer: Hiroko Kawano

When I was in graduate school,

one thing I often heard was that the goal of anthropology

is to make the strange familiar and the familiar strange.

I thought I knew what that meant, but I didn't really understand it

until the first time I conducted fieldwork.

In my first year of graduate school,

I traveled to South America to work with the Shuar,

an indigenous population in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

I was studying how children develop across different cultures.

I had a number of expectations for what that trip would be like.

I knew I was going to get a lot of bug bites - I did.

I knew I'd ride a canoe down the winding rivers of the jungle - I did.

And I knew I'd learn something I didn't know before - and I did.

I learned what childhood was like in a small scale society.

I saw independent young kids climbing trees to gather papayas

when they were hungry.

I saw them starting fires,

preparing food for themselves and their siblings

and even using machetes quite confidently, I might add.

(Laughter)

The thing I didn't expect

was the culture shock of coming back to the United States.

The strangeness of the Shuar was becoming more familiar to me,

but suddenly, the familiarity of home started to feel strange.

Being a child in a foraging society

is very different than being a child in a Western society.

In societies like the Shuar,

children are much more independent or as we like to call it "free-range."

(Laughter)

If you grew up in the era before cellphones,

that might be what your own childhood was like too.

But for the newest generation of kids, this independance is quickly fading away.

And that's because childhood has changed very recently and very rapidly.

For virtually all of our time on this planet,

for hundreds of thousands of years,

our species lived in small bands of hunter-gatherers,

more similar to how the Shuar live now than how the average American lives.

Then just a few thousand years ago,

most of our environment started to change a lot.

In fact, they changed so quickly and so drastically

that many anthropologists believe

we are now in a state of evolutionary mismatch.

This means that the environment has changed too quickly

for some of our genes to keep up.

Cultural evolution is much faster than genetic evolution.

And what this means is that our minds and bodies

might be optimized for a world that most of us no longer live in.

So what did this past environment look like?

Well, it's impossible to perfectly answer this question:

bones fossilize, behavior doesn't.

But we can learn a lot by looking at current day societies like the Shuar.

And I want to clarify here:

the Shuar are not a prehistoric people or windows into the past;

they are modern people.

But their way of life may give us a clue about what childhood was like in the past.

And what we know

from looking across a large number of these small-scale societies

is that there are a lot of common patterns.

For instance, in virtually all of these societies,

women give natural birth,

mothers breastfeed frequently and for long periods of time,

parents sleep in the same room as their kids

and children are constantly in physical contact with other people.

These patterns have started to change in our Western societies:

here C-sections are more prevalent, as is formula feeding.

Kids often sleep in their own little rooms,

and we don't want people

in physical contact with us or our children.

We value personal space.

But let's go back to the idea of mismatch.

The practices in yellow have marked the human experience

for 99% of our time on this planet.

The stuff in blue is just 1% of human history.

These massive changes have happened so quickly

that they may be out of whack with the world we are born expecting.

And we think there are consequences for these changes, both good and bad.

For instance, C-sections save lives,

but they also shape the bacteria in our gut and our immune system

in ways that might have negative consequences.

But as an anthropoligst who studies behavior,

one shared feature of these societies that I want to focus on

and one that I've been able to see for myself is this:

in small scale societies, alongside the adult community,

is a complex mini-community of children, an alternate society.

This child society is made up of kids of all ages and genders.

It has its own unique culture and leaders.

It has drama and a surprising amount of political intrigue.

To understand why this child society is so important for development,

it helps to keep in mind a curious fact about humans,

and that is to become a successful adult in any culture,

children have to learn an enormous number of complicated skills.

These include both technical skills, like building a fire,

and social skills, like maintaining friendships.

And to perfect these skills, which take decades,

children also develop foundational skills,

like creativity, determination and problem solving.

Like, one day, when the Shuar adults were playing a soccer game,

I saw a group of kids set up their own soccer game right next to the adults.

When they called me over,

I got really excited because I thought they wanted me to play with them,

but they were like, actually, you just keep score,

so all of us can play.

(Laughter)

Problem solved.

Shuar kids, like kids everywhere, spend a lot of time observing adults

and incorporating their behaviors into their play.

In fact, this is one of the reasons the play itself has evolved

as a way to practice these skills in ways that are low-cost.

No one has to encourage kids to do this.

They do it on their own

because through unstructured play, children learn how to become adults.

Another important benefit to this mixed-age society

is that kids teach to and learn from one another.

Younger kids benefit by learning from older kids

who are only slightly better than them.

And through teaching, older kids strengthen their own skills,

as you may have experienced yourself - teaching helps you learn.

It's hard to find these patterns in our Western societies.

Kids here spend the majority of their development

in a room with other kids their own age by design.

Adults are totally in charge

of the content and structure of their time.

They determine when kids eat. They determine when kids play.

They even determine when kids can go to the bathroom.

And the unstrucutred play time of recess

is now quickly becoming a structured activity.

A strange byproduct of all this micro-managing

is that we're teaching kids things that don't even need to be taught.

Kids don't need to be taught how to play.

They don't even need to be taught how to talk, really.

You don't have to point to an apple and say, "This is an apple."

Kids can also learn through exposure,

like hearing you ask your husband for an apple and him handing you one.

"Apples." - done.

And the idea that it is a parent's duty

to constantly craft and monitor their children's experiences

causes a lot of unnecessary anxiety and may, in fact, be detrimental.

When we take away mixed-aged play groups, when we take away unstructured play,

we are in fact taking away the training wheels to adulthood

that children have had for millennia.

We are contributing to an increasingly mismatch environment.

What's more,

instead of letting kids develop foundational skills like problem solving,

we're flipping to the back of the book to show them the answers.

But that leaves them unprepared for all the new problems they're going to face.

This might be one of the reasons

why the transition to college is so difficult for kids here,

or why choosing a career path can feel so daunting.

There's been very little space to explore.

The lesson is not that we should go back to living like foragers

or think whatever is natural is what we should do.

That's the naturalistic fallacy.

But we would benefit from taking a broader perspective

and understanding how our evolutionary history

has shaped the way our minds develop.

We all want the best for our kids.

We want them to be independent, confident, problem solvers.

We want them to be happy.

But paradoxically,

our cultural practices in the West might be undermining children's abilities

to develop these skills.

It's hard to study the long-term consequences of these changes,

especially because they're happening so quickly.

But there are some tried-and-true methods to raising kids

that we've been using for millennia.

In fact, we've been using them for so long

that children minds might actually be expecting them.

Some of these methods you can start using now.

Set up more mixed-age play dates for your kids.

Give them the room they need to make mistakes.

Give them more unstructured playtime.

In fact, this is not just an idea

that's relevant for those who are raising kids

because even as adults, we are still developing.

These lessons are applicable to you too.

Allow yourself to make mistakes.

Spend time with older family and younger friends.

Give yourself some unstructured playtime.

And perhaps recognize that the familiar culture all around you

is, in fact, very strange.

Thank you.

(Applause)