Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

A Study of Child Rearing Practices Amongst Selected, Sudanese Families in South Australia: Implications for Child Care Service Selection

  • Published:
Early Childhood Education Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Child care services in Australia, for example, are largely defined and shaped by the historically dominant Anglo-Australian discourse and norms. The aim of this research was to examine critically and to find meaning in the experiences of recently arrived Sudanese families as they began to settle into their new cultural environment. The cultural values of some 30 Sudanese families were investigated and related to how these affected the selection of child care services. Qualitative research methods including an indigenous approach were used to gather data. Interactions with Sudanese families took place in their home environments. Interviews were conducted in a way that put those people interviewed at ease. Techniques used included narrative interviewing and vignettes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alexander C., Becker H. J. (1978). The use of vignettes in survey research. Public Opinion Quarterly, 42(1):93–104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). (2003). Australian Trends 2003–Population Characteristics: Ancestry of Australian Population. Canberra, Australia

  • Baker G. (1994). Teaching children to respect diversity. Childhood Education, 71(1):33–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell J. (2005). Doing your research project : A guide for first-time researchers in education, health and social science (4th ed.). New York: Open University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Berg B. L. (2004). Qualitative research methods for the social sciences (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon

    Google Scholar 

  • Bishop R. (1999). Kaupapa Maori research: An indigenous approach to creating knowledge. In N. Robertson (Ed.), Maori and psychology: Research and practice – The proceedings of a symposium sponsered by the Maori and Psychology Research Unit. Hamilton: Maori & Psychology Research Unit

    Google Scholar 

  • Boss, P., Edwards, S., & Pitman, S. (Eds.). (1995). Profile of young Australians: Facts, figures and issues. Melbourne, New York: Churchill Livingstone

  • Bronfenbrenner U. (1979). The ecology of human development. Cambridge: Harvard University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Bureau of African Affairs. (2004). Background note: Sudan. Retrieved 9 May, 2005, from www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5424.htm

  • Clarke-Stewart K. A. (1998). Historical shifts and underlying themes in ideas about rearing young children in the United States: Where have we been? Where are we going? Early Development & Parenting, 7(2):101–117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Da Silva, L., & Wise, S. (2003). Continuity of childrearing models across childcare settings. Paper presented at the Steps forward for families: Research, practice and policy, 8th Australian Institute of Family Studies Conference, Melbourne, Australia

  • Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.) (2000). The handbook of qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications

  • DIMIA. (2004). Australia’s support for humanitarian entrants 2003–2004. Canberra: Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs

    Google Scholar 

  • DIMIA. (2005). Australia’s refugee and humanitarian program. Retrieved 6 May, 2005, from http://www.immi.gov.au/facts/60refugee.htm

  • Ebbeck M. (1995). Purposes of early childhood education: Expressed views of teachers and parents in Hong Kong. International Journal of Early Years Education, 3(2):3–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Ebbeck M. (1996). Children constructing their own knowledge. International Journal of Early Years Education, 4(2):5–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Ebbeck M., Gokhale N. (2004). Child-rearing practices in a selected sample of parents with children in childcare in Singapore. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 5(2):194–206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ebbeck M., Wei Z. G. (1996). The importance of pre-school education in the People’s Republic of China. International Journal of Early Years Education, 4(1):27–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Enriquez V. (1997). Filipino psychology: Concepts and methods. In H. S. R. Kao & D. Sinha (Eds.), Asian perspectives on psychology, vol. 19 (pp. 40–53). New Delhi; Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications

    Google Scholar 

  • Finch J. (1987). The vignette technique in survey research. Sociology, 21(1):105–114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gallimore R., Weisner T. S., Kaufman S. Z., Bernheimer L. P. (1989). The social construction of ecocultural niches: Family accommodation of developmentally delayed children. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 94(3):216–230

    Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez-Mena J. (1997). Multicultural issues in child care (2nd ed.). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Co

    Google Scholar 

  • Ho D. Y. F. (1992). A metatheory of cross-cultural comparisons: Confronting culturocentrism. In U. P. Gielen, L. L. Adler & N. A. Milgram (Eds.), Psychology in international perspective: 50 years of the International Council of Psychologists (pp. 186–198). Amsterdam/Lisse: Swets & Zeitlinger

    Google Scholar 

  • Hujala-Huttunen E. (1996). Day care in the USA, Russia and Finland: Views from parents, teachers and directors. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 4(1):33–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Hwang K. K. (2005). The third wave of cultural psychology: The indigenous movement. Psychologist, 18(2):80–83

    Google Scholar 

  • Katigbak M. S., Church A. T., Guanzon-Lapena M. A., Carlota A. J., del Pilar G. H. (2002). Are indigenous personality dimensions culture specific? Philippine Inventories and the Five-Factor Model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82(1):89–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim U., Berry J. (1993). Introduction. In U. Kim & J. Berry (Eds.), Indigenous psychologies research and expereince in cultural context: Cross cultural research and methology series (Vol. 17). Newbury Park, CA: Sage

    Google Scholar 

  • LeBaron, M. (2003). Cross-cultural communication. Retrieved 16 March, 2006, from http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/cross-cultural_communication/

  • Liem I. (1994). The challenge of migrant motherhood: The child rearing practices of Chinese first-time mothers in Australia. In P. L. Rice (Ed.), Asian mothers, Australian birth: Pregnancy, childbirth and childrearing: The Asian experience in an English speaking country (pp. 135–160). Melbourne: Ausmed Publications

    Google Scholar 

  • Machar, B. (2005). Basic facts about Sudanese living in Adelaide. Paper presented at the Information and Sharing for the church groups supporting Sudanese people living in Inner Southern Area, Adelaide

  • Ojala M. (2000). Parent and teacher expectations for developing young children: A cross-cultural comparison between Ireland and Finland. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 8(2):39–61

    Google Scholar 

  • Papastergiadis N. (2000). The turbulence of migration: Globalization, deterritorialization and hybridity. Malden, MA: Polity Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Ralph, K. (1995). Classrooms without borders. Childhood Education, Annual Theme, 290–293

  • Roer-Strier D. (1998). Coping with cultural transition: A framework for studying minority parents and children in Israel. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 6(2):71–85

    Google Scholar 

  • Shu J., Goldlust J., MacKenzie F., Struick A., Khoo S. (1996). Australia’s population trends and prospects 1995. Canberra: Bureau of Immigration, Multicultural and Population Research, Australian Government Printing Service

    Google Scholar 

  • Sinha D. (1993). Indigenization of psychology in India and its relevance. In U. Kim & J. Berry (Eds.), Indigenous psychologies research and experience in cultural context: Cross-cultural research and methodology series, vol. 17 (pp. 30–43). Newbury Park, CA: Sage

    Google Scholar 

  • Soydan, H. (1996). Using the vignette method in cross cultural comparisons. In L. Hantrais & S. Mangen (Eds.), Cross-national research methods in the social sciences (pp. 76–83). London/New York: Pinten

    Google Scholar 

  • Sumrall W., West L. (1998). Using a vignette technique to compare various group beliefs. Journal of Environmental Education, 29(4):45–51

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vajda M. (1996). Cultural diversity. In B. Creaser & E. Dau (Eds.), The anti-bias approach in early childhood (pp. 33–47). Pymble, N.S.W.: Harper Educational

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Ijzendoorn M. H., Tavecchio L. W. C., Stams G. J., Verhoeven M., Reiling E. (1998). Attunement between parents and professional caregivers: A comparison of a childrearing attitudes in different child-care settings. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 60(3):771–781

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wadsworth Y. (1997). Do it yourself social research (2nd ed.). St. Leonards, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin

    Google Scholar 

  • Wise S., Sanson A. (2000). Child care in cultural context: Issues for new research. Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies

    Google Scholar 

  • Wise, S., & Sanson, A. (2003). Cultural transitions in early childhood: The developmental consequences of discontinuity between home and childcare. Paper presented at the Steps forward for families: Research, practice and policy, 8th Australian Institute of Family Studies Conference, Melbourne, Australia

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marjory Anne Ebbeck.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ebbeck, M.A., Dela Cerna, C.H. A Study of Child Rearing Practices Amongst Selected, Sudanese Families in South Australia: Implications for Child Care Service Selection. Early Childhood Educ J 34, 307–314 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-006-0129-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-006-0129-4

Keywords

Navigation