Autonomy And The Norm In Collectivist Cultures

In an individualistic culture that promotes autonomy, an infant sleeps in his or her own crib or room, which requires the infant to self-regulate and self-soothe. In America babies tend to sleep solitary and, in general, spend much more of their time alone than babies do in more collectivist cultures. They spend considerable time sitting in playpens or play seats with their toys. Many parents feel that social time is stressful for babies and that infants need “downtime” to rest and recover. Babies very quickly learn that social interaction is spaced between times of solitude. Another example described by Rogoff is toilet training reflects individualism when it is compared with the norm in collectivist societies. The language used here exemplifies