Examines parenthood, infancy, and early childhood among the Gusii people of Kenya and reveals patterns and practices unanticipated by theories of child development. Chapters address (1) frameworks for understanding African infancy, including discussion of issues raises by comparative studies over the decades; (2) parenthood among the Gusii, including presentation of the person-centered perspective as well as Gusii beliefs and practices concerning fertility, marriage, family, pregnancy, and birth; (3) infant care and development in a Gusii community, including examination of cultural norms surrounding infant care, priorities for early development, communication, and learning during infancy, and variations in infant interaction; and (4) interpretation of study findings. Key conclusions that can be drawn from comparing child care among the Gusii to child care as practiced in a Western industrialized country are that the absence during a child?s first 2 to 3 years of specific parental practices that promote cognitive, emotional, and language skills in Western contexts does not necessarily constitute failure to provide what every child needs; the Gusii incorporate learning through a child?s participation in established, hierarchical structures of interaction at home and in the larger community; and the Gusii have acquired different skills, values, and preferences in accordance with their own goals for human development.
