Why study other cultures’ efforts of child rearing? 
We must use the knowledge learned of other cultures to understand human relationships and how they have evolved.  When taking a look cross-culturally at others’ child-rearing practices we can begin to understand our own practices and methods.  Adolescent socialization to parenthood is a time when most individuals need strong kinship support and strength from their community.  Taking a look at how other cultures support young parents will give insight and knowledge to how we treat young parents in our country. 

Who are the Beng? 
The Beng population consists of 12,000 people and lives along the Ivory Coast in Western Africa.  Most extended families in the Beng village live together where a “dual descent” system exists.  In Beng culture, marriages are arranged and a mother’s first duty is to “take a belly” as soon as possible.(1)  Beng adolescents practice everyday customs and traditions of tribal life, including parenting practices taught to them by their kinship group.  Many new Beng mothers learn to care for their infants from female relatives and other women of the village. 

What is a “Dual Descent” System? 
The traditional Beng family live together where a “Dual Descent” System of clans crosscuts the family structure, with each individual belonging simultaneously to two clans – one to the female line and one to the male line.(1)  Beng tradition and customs are passed on to the next generation by relatives within this “Dual Descent” System.  Because Beng adolescents still live with their extended family, it is presumed the relatives of the adolescent will help throughout a pregnancy and offer parenting advice. 

Who are the Balinese? 
The Bali culture exists in the tropical islands of Indonesia and constitutes 1% of the entire population.  Religious rituals are central to Balinese daily life and it is believed that the soul must be pure and free from evil deeds.(1)  A Balinese baby is a ‘divine’ gift from the Earth and is cherished and nurtured by all.  Most Balinese women give birth at a young age and are taught parenting practices by their extended family.  Because Bali adolescents live with their entire extended family, they have been around babies throughout most of their life and are familiar with caring for a child. 

How do adolescents from Turkey socialize to parenthood? 
Turkey is a nation of about 63 million people, half of who live in villages similar to the Beng and Bali societies.   Adolescents marry around the age of 15 and some as young as 13 years of age.  Because Turkish adolescents marry so young, many are just at the beginning stages of puberty and many women are barely able to reproduce.  The majority of Turkish society practices infibulation, which is a religious practice of “sewing up” a young daughters vagina so she is unable to reproduce out of wedlock.(2)  Any adolescent who becomes pregnant out of wedlock will abort their unborn fetus and be shunned by the community.  It is the duty of the mother to guide and teach her daughter parenting skills and practices.  However, if a daughter becomes pregnant before marriage, then she will be on her own. 

What do the Beng, Balinese, and Turkish have to do with me? 
Infant care practices vary so much across different societies and historical eras precisely because they are firmly embedded in different physical, economic, and cultural frameworks.2  Parents and relatives assume a major role in an adolescent’s life to teach them the importance of their culture.  Among the differences in various cultures, some pregnancies are welcomed into society and some are aborted with the female adolescent becoming ostracized from her community.(2)  Whatever differences an individual may have for conceiving a child, the main goal is for ‘survival of the fittest’ and to raise a happy, healthy baby. 

What can I learn from these cultures? 
No matter the society, the transition into adolescence isn’t an easy one, especially if that adolescent is pregnant.  The varying differences within the cultural context of these societies educate us and open our eyes to how much we need kinship ties and depend on others for support.  Like most cultures, pregnancy is usually defined within the context of marriage.  However, there are some exceptions to this rule and when these exceptions do exist, it is up to the individual to find it in themselves to reach out to their social support system. 

2 LaRossa, R., & LaRossa, Mulligan, M. (1998).  Transition to Parenthood:  How Infants Change Families.