A Comparative Study of Mother's Education and Early Child Rearing Practices in A Southwestern Indian Pueblo

• Main Author: Remund, Sherry D.
• Format: Others
• Published: DigitalCommons@USU 1975
• Subjects: Mother's Education; Child Rearing; Southwestern Indian Pueblo; Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/2475; https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3479&context=etd

The problem on which this study focused was the need to determine the manner and degree to which pluralistic values of the greater American Society are influencing family life and child rearing patterns of a Southwestern Indian Pueblo, The Southwestern Pueblo is not named for reasons of anonymity. The intent of the study was to determine the degree to which southwestern pueblo mothers have been affected by their education in a non-indian culture as related to child rearing practices in the pre-school years. The study tests the hypothesis that there is no significant difference in the early child rearing practices of mothers educated on the reservation and those mothers educated off the reservation in a non-Indian culture. Methodologically, a sample of 30 mothers were interviewed by the researcher: in the Fall of 1974 . Fifteen mothers were representative of the nonreservation educated mothers and 15 mothers were educated on the reservation. The instrument used in the interviews was adapted from Schroeder who did a similar study at Jemez Pueblo in 1960. Her study served as a comparative base for this research. Out of 76 items, only five showed a significant difference in the responses of the two groups of mothers at the. 05 level. Therefore the hypothesis was not rejected. Generally, the reservation educated mothers were more permissive in areas of feeding than non-reservation educated mothers. This same permissiveness for the reservation educated mothers held true in regard to toilet training practices and in the areas of discipline, the reservation educated mothers leaned toward the traditional maternal extended family pattern. More of the children in the reservation-educated group lived in their maternal grandmother's home. All mothers in both groups realized change was occurring, but most hoped their child would preserve some of the Indian culture and feel proud to be an Indian.