Baby Documentary Paper
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lolanickson
Part 1
‘Babies’ is a documentary film produced by Thomas Balmes in 2016. He scrutinizes the lives of four children from different parts of the world and various cultural and economic backgrounds. The lives of these children are filmed when they are only one year old, and using the example of these newborns, Balmes can identify their biosocial, cognitive and psychosocial development. One of the children is from Opuwo, a small village in Namibia. The other one is from Bayanchanddmani in Mongolia. The other child is from Tokyo, Japan and the fourth one is growing in the streets of San Francisco. Physical and social development of the children is hugely affected by the area in which they are raised because children first learn from the surroundings.
At first, the viewer is introduced to the scene of Ponijao being born. There is a red pigmented substance with which her mother rubs her swollen tummy. Initially, there was no indication that such a delicate human process (giving birth) was bound to happen. However, the scenario of birth in the life of Hattie is different. Everything just tells that the medical staff is fully prepared. During its birth, there are highly qualified doctors present, and all types of medical equipment are an inch away. Bayar has almost a similar case as Hattie regarding medical attention. The baby is tightly wrapped in colored garments, and when they leave the hospital, they return to a very rural setting where the rest of the family resides. In one part of the film, the audience is ushered into the world of Mari. She shows a little child playing with a toy. The toys are a privilege to her but to children like Bayar, it is evident, that is not the case. At one time Bayar takes a shower in an open water source. Just a few inches away from him a goat is quenching its thirst. All these scenarios depict the way the children would interact with the environment and how they will perceive certain things in life.
Biosocial Development
Gross Motor Skills
Definition and Explanation: Motor skills refer to the actions that necessitate the use of muscles to enable a baby to make movements. The gross motor skills are the less specific movements that the baby performs with legs and arms. They include running, jumping, crawling, and sitting. For a child to attain motor skills eye-hand coordination is required.
Description of Observation: In film “Babies”, there are a number of examples in which the babies make use of gross motor skills. All of the children successfully attain these skills. Blames shows Hattie, who is crawling in the apartment. His parents let him crawl, before his mother comes and cleans him, without the need to pick him up. Mari also developed gross motor skills quickly. She is shown to be crawling in the day care center. Despite her cry for attention, there is no one to cater for her needs. Ponjiao is also shown to have attained the skills as she is walking around when she is playing in a manner that imitates the actions of her mother. Bayar, on the other hand, spends most of his time wrapped in a bundle. Although his older sibling is already walking around and playing, Bayer is develops gross motor skills slowly.
Concept: Fine motor skills
Definition and Explanation: Fine motor skills are closely associated with gross motors skills. These are more refined movements of hands and feet. They are essential for the performance of daily survival tasks as well as academic tasks. They include the ability of the baby to pick things or to use the tongue to taste.
Description of Observation: The film shows that the children are able to attain fine motor development. They manage to cultivate their fine motor skills through play. To begin with, Panjiao shows her skills as she plays, imitating her older sibling in grinding food using stones. Through the use of technology, Hattie is suspended on a carrier. While on the carrier, he demonstrates his fine motor skills by jumping up and down on the spot. Mari also shows his skills when he is able to take his toys and play with them as his father is showing him. He can coordinate his hand movement according to his cognition. Bayar, on the other hand, spends most of his time wrapped in a bundle. Thus although he eventually develops the skills, it takes him longer time compared to his mates of the same age.
Concept: Sitting alone
Definition and Explanation: Sitting alone is the ability of the child sit up by themselves without the intervention of external parties. The child may sit for just a short duration of time, but it is an indication of the development of their backbone. It is also representative of the ability to leave the child on their own, without them toppling over.
Description of Observation: The film depicts the ability of the children to sit alone differently. For instance, Bayar is denied the ability to sit up by himself. He spends most of time either wrapped up or being carried by his mother. He does not have the opportunity to develop his autonomy skills. When his mother leaves him alone, she ties him such that he cannot move. Thus, his ability to sit alone is limited. Just like Bayar, Mari takes longer time to develop his ability to sit alone. His parents often leave him lying on his back on a moving bed. He lacks the opportunity to explore his environment.
Cognitive Development
Concept: Make-believe play
Definition and Explanation: It refers to the ability of the child to engage in interactive play with diverse objects and people. The child ascribes to the people or to objects certain characteristics created with the help of imagination, which may not correspond to reality. The child may also assign roles to the items or people in the play.
Description of Observation: Mari and Hattie show make- believe play quicker than their peers in other parts of the world. The technologies available in their lives expose them to more creative play. Make-believe play is usually employed at the more progressed stages of a child’s play. Items such as toys expand child’s knowledge, hence its thinking. Various games present the child with many scenarios to compare and contrast. For example, the child gets exposed to different colors as well as outdoor and indoor activities. This is not the same case for the low-income families in the rural areas. Children in these regions tend to have lower energy level for games especially when they have not eaten properly. Some of them are engaged in child labor. When they do not have time to use make-believe play, a step in their growth is skipped, and therefore they will tend to have a relatively small thinking capacity. In addition to that, they are not presented with as many scenarios as their peers. Their development will therefore be slower.
Concept: Deferred imitation
Definition and Explanation: It refers to an instance when the child imitates concepts after a prolonged duration of time from when they were exposed to the stimulus. It is an indication that the child in undergoing changes in behavior and learning. An example is evident in language development.
Description of Observation: Children born in urban areas such as Tokyo and San Francisco get to know their languages at a faster rate than those in the rural areas. That can be attributed to the large population surrounding the child, who is incessantly talking. For example, if such a child is taken to the airport or a marketplace, there is always the humming of human sounds and talking. A child’s mind is still quick to grasp information coming on their way. When at home, there is always a media device operating. It can either be a television, a radio, a phone playing music or a laptop. Since these children spend most of their days at home, they are exposed to language and are able to express themselves more fluently and efficiently.
Concept: Affordances
Definition and Explanation: It refers to the items and materials that are in the child’s immediate environment. These are the resources available to the child, which will determine their cognitive development.
Description of Observation: In the rural areas such as that of Bayar, the life is usually slow and at times very silent. When such a child attains the age when they can go outside to do activities such as grazing, the only sounds they will be hearing is nature sounds and a momentarily talk with a peer. Their minimal exposure to conversations has a significant bearing on their abilities to express their feelings. Japan, which is Mari’s home, has a culture of advancing in technology in every sphere of information. Such an environment will alter the thinking of the child as most people are information-oriented. As a child who is trying to understand its environment, it will find itself gazing at books and journalists. The culture also has a way of interfering with how the child perceives nature. In Pattie’s home, a dog would be regarded as a pet, but in places like Namibia, it can be considered as a hunting animal. In the film, we see a child bathing in a river with a goat drinking the same water. Such a scenario cannot be found in Tokyo or America.
Psychosocial Development
Concept: Trust vs. Mistrust
Definition and Explanation: The concept is associated with Erick Erickson’s stages of psychosocial development. It commences at birth and all through the initial year. The infants develop trust in their caregivers and their ability to cater for their needs. Failure to meet the needs may cause the child to develop mistrust. Crying is the only way for a child to communicate their needs.
Description of Observation: In the film, there are various ways through which the needs of the children are met. In certain cases, some people may evoke feelings of trust in a child, while others may instill mistrust. For instance, there is a scene where Mari is left unattended. He is taken into the daycare center, where there is no one to satisfy his needs. He is left on an electronic bed where he cries with no one to take care of him. Thus, he is likely to develop mistrust. On the other hand, Ponijao’s needs are met. When she is hungry, her mother ensures to feed her. Her mother provides her with the attention she needs and she is always around her parent. Therefore, she is more likely to develop confidence in the world.
Concept: Distress, anger
Definition and Explanation: It refers to the child’s ability to cope with or to respond to a stressful environment. If the child is often exposed to high-pressure situations, it may lack the ability to control its emotions. Consequently, the child may react in bursts of anger or cry, even if the situation does not warrant it.
Description of Observation: In the film, the children show signs of distress and anger under different circumstances. For instance, when Bayar’s sibling gets rough while playing with him, he is not able to cope and starts crying. It is a signal that he needs his mother to intervene. If he had not been under distress, he would have played with his sibling. When Panjiao is playing with her sibling and he gets rough, she resorts to biting and hitting her sibling in addition to crying. If the child had not been under stress, she would have enjoyed playing with her sibling without resorting to violence.
Concept: Separation anxiety
Definition and Explanation: It refers to instances when the child feels anxious or worried, whenever the parents may not be round in the course of the daily activity. The child may resort to crying, clinging and extending the separation. The anxiety is expected to reduce as the child grows older and interacts with other people.
Description of Observation: In the film, there are few instances of separation anxiety, nonetheless it is still present. For example, there are scenes that show Marri as she is lying on the bed. She is alone and crying yet no one comes to her. When she is at the daycare center, she is also alone. She is crying and helpless. These are examples of the anxiety that she may feel when away from her parents. Hattie also shows signs of separation anxiety when her parents attempt to leave him. He throws tantrums and remains sad.
Part II
Multiple Influences on Development
An adult is simply a grown-up child. The development of a child’s personality influences the rest of his life. The most effective way to understand the person as an adult is to understand their childhood. It is apparent that the environment plays a critical role in the development of a child. On the other hand, studies of the personalities of twins have provided insight into other factors that play critical role in the development of the child. Although the environment is not the only factor that influences the development of children, it is the most significant one. In some cases, the child may adapt positively to the environment by doing useful things, while the other may adapt negatively by doing descriptive activities. The observations of children in their natural environment can provide insight into how different factors affect their development and how they mingle with different elements in their surroundings. An appropriate example was that of Panjiao. Panjiao from Opuwo in Namibia is growing in the rural part of Africa. She presents an excellent case in point of how factors such as parenting, home environment, and socioeconomic status impact a child’s development.
To begin with, Brumariu noted that the parenting style used by mother and father had a significant influence on the development of a child. When a mixed parenting style was used, the child had a two times higher probability of having slow development, in comparison to those with democratic parenting. He recommended the use of the latter to facilitate the development of the child. Panjiao seems to develop faster in comparison to other children who grow in different cultures. While other children can barely crawl, she is crawling and playing with her peers. She shows the signs of faster development compared to the others. Kornilov noted that children had a high probability of imitating the actions in their surroundings. Parents may influence their children either intentionally or unintentionally only through their actions and their words. Such imitation is apparent in Panjiao. She emulates the actions of her mother such as grinding food and fetching water. It is clear that her mother plays a vital role in her development.
The second element is the home environment. Coll stated that the child’s home environment has a notable effect on its well-being. A problematic home can hinder the development of the brain and its ability to respond to stress. There is a link between an adverse home environment in the initial three years and a series of problems including aggression, poor school readiness, problems with behavior and the development of language. Panjiao showed signs of aggression during play. When she was frustrated with her sibling, she had to resort to hitting her. Brumariu also shows that the home environment plays an essential role in cognitive abilities. For Panjiao the home environment is competitive, which has encouraged her to progress faster in her development. For instance, during breastfeeding, she clings to her mother’s breast to discourage her siblings. Furthermore, rather than paying with toys, she plays with her siblings. The interaction with them has progressed her development as well. Thus, although Panjiao’s home environment is primarily positive, it still has some adverse effects.
The third element is the socioeconomic aspect and how it influences the development of children. The socioeconomic status is considered one of the most comprehensive factors studied in social sciences. Coll noted that the socioeconomic status affected the development of the children through neighborhood and family. Moreover, it shows accessibility to resources and reaction to stressful conditions. For instance, Panjiao lacks a variety of toys and spends most of her time playing with other children or keeping herself busy with whatever she finds. Coll noted that socioeconomic studies are linked to a high esteem, optimism and a sense of control. Other studies have been linked to delinquency. For instance, when Panjiao is denied a toy, she resorts to biting her sibling. Kornilov stated that a strong relationship between the mother and the child could result in healthy development of the child, especially in families of low economic status. With Panjiao, it is apparent that she has a close relationship with her mother. Often she spends time with her mother, as she sings to her and plays with her. Clearly, the socioeconomic status influences the development of the child in many ways.
For Panjiao it is apparent that the several factors impact her development. Through this film, it is obvious that three factors are the most significant. These include socioeconomic status, parenting, and home environment. As to Panjiao, she is raised with her siblings, which makes her competitive and aggressive. Although they have a low socioeconomic status, her mother pays enough attention to her. All of the factors combined, Panjiao will be able to grow and become psychologically healthy.
Materials to Support Development
There are a number of factors that influence the development of a child, such as economic status, parenting, and home environment. Such factors are essential in the development of Panjiao, who is a toddler in a native African community. The introduction of certain materials will boost the child’s development with regard to the above factors.
The first factor is parenting. Brumariu notes that children learn through the imitation of actions of others, especially adults. It is apparent that the actions of Panjiao’s parents influence her development as she emulates the actions of her mother such as fetching water. The introduction of adult modeling appropriate behavior would be an essential factor in teaching the desired behavior. For instance, adults would model behaviors such as sharing to encourage her to learn the virtues.
The second factor is the home environment. Panjiao is raised in an environment where she has 8 siblings, which has in turn made her very competitive and aggressive. According to Kornilov, the introduction of providing reinforcement would encourage her to change her behavior. As such, in some instances when Panjiao shares or engages in any positive behavior, she could be rewarded. The introduction of rewards will encourage her to learn positive behavior.
The final aspect is socioeconomic status. According to Kornilov, the academic literacy of the parent determines how they care for the child. Academic literacy is also considered a part of socioeconomic status. Panjiao’s parents are not educated, and as such, they take care of her using traditional means. Educating her parents would play a vital role in providing the appropriate care for their child. It is evident that the introduction of the above mentioned materials will boost the development of the child.
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