UNIVERSALITY AND CULTURAL SPECIFICITY OF ATTACHMENT RELATIONSHIP
Journal Title: Educational Psychology - Year 2012, Vol 44, Issue 1
Abstract
Summary: The article attempts to analyze Bowlby and Ainsworth’s theory of attachment from the cultural and intercultural perspective. Due to the evolutionary and biological basis of attachment relationship, this theory is regarded as a universal theory that provides a good explanation of human behaviors regardless of the cultural context. However, the universal nature of this theory is limited by the fact that the importance given to the child’s and caregiver’s behaviors and the conclusions drawn as to the consequences of these behaviors for mental health and interpersonal relationships later in life are dependent on the type of values highly regarded in a given culture. Bowlby and Ainsworth’s theory originated in western culture, which praises individualism, autonomy and independence of the individual; hence the question about the theory's explanatory and predictive power in cultures which value community and interdependence. The comparison of child-caregiver relationships in the cultures of the West and in the cultures of the East (here: with the example of amae in Japanese culture) reveals both pancultural elements and uniquely cultural elements in attachment behaviors. The analysis presented suggests caution in the use of attachment theory to explain phenomena in other than western cultures.
Authors and Affiliations
Anna Kwiatkowska
Keywords
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