Are We Dependent Upon Independence?

One of the greatest controversies prevalent in the world today could be the manner in which children are disciplined, educated, and loved.  For example, in the United States of America, institutions have been established in an attempt to remove children from homes and guardians deemed unacceptable by society.  Many children each year are taken away from their guardians due to abuse and negligence, when in fact most of the guardians are raising their children according to their beliefs on what is appropriate.

            One may wonder why the methods used in the rearing of children are important.   A newborn infant can be compared to a blank word document.  Anything typed upon their document they will remember.  According to Franz Boas, individuals are conditioned to act and react to situations that surround them.  To summarize, it affects how an individual will acquire information, how they will participate in their society, and their personality.     

            The techniques used to raise offspring have been sorted into two main categories, independence and dependence training.  Individuals who fall into these categories view childrearing in two distinct ways.  Independence training emphasizes individual independence, self reliance, and personal achievement.  While dependence training teaches individuals to think of themselves as a piece of a grand puzzle.  These techniques are vital in educating children in the social norms of their society.  By learning the appropriate social norm, one is able to successfully interact in their society.  

 Many families observe an independence training model; wherein children are taught to direct their attention to their own personal achievement.  The family’s outcome is one of each individual member working in their own distinct specialty, away from their parent’s home.  These families contain parents who both have responsibilities outside of the home, away from their children.  Each child learns quickly how to survive with or without mom or dad.  There are many children who come home from school to an empty house and are able to care for themselves and younger siblings until the arrival of their parents.  These traits are prominent among those living in industrialized societies wherein individuals have the possibility of living at a greater distance away from their relatives and loved ones without difficulty.