Paper Writing Instructions

Psychology 202

Cultural Variations in Child Rearing

This paper should be three to five pages in length, typed, double-spaced, 12-point font, with 1-inch margins. It is due in your discussion section the 7^th week of the term (Nov 11-12). .

You should also include a title page with the following information: A creative project title, your name, the name of the class (Psychology 202: Mind and Society), the day and time of your section, your T.A.'s name, and the date.

In your paper, you should answer the following questions in paragraph form. The order of the questions is designed to make the paper flow smoothly. However, you will need to include introductory, concluding, and transition statements in order to make the paper coherent.

1. Begin by talking about the article you read. Introduce the topic by talking about how differences in culture can affect parenting choices. Then describe differences shown in the article between Mayan and American parents.

2. Lead into the research you did by suggesting you were investigating an example of someone's parenting choices and how they were affected by cultural practices.

3. Describe the person who was interviewed. What was her relationship to you? How old is her child now? Describe the cultural background of the person whom you interviewed.

4. Were her responses more like a typical Mayan mother or more like a typical Utah mother as described in the article? How? (Be specific, even to the point of including data from the article).

5. Is there any link between her practices and ideas concerning infant sleeping arrangements and her developmental goals for her children? (Goals can include both behavior/character goals and health/survival goals.)

6. What do you see as the developmental and cultural significance of the presence or absence of bedtime routines and transitional objects?

7. Do you see any connection between her responses to the interview and her cultural background?

When you turn in your paper, make sure to include your data collection sheet.

Also, PROOFREAD your paper before turning it in. Have someone (a classmate, a friend, someone at Academic Learning Services) read a first draft and give you editing suggestions for the final version. (Academic Learning Services is in the lower level of PLC, and can be reached at 346-3226.) Use the attached form to certify that someone else read over your paper. Turn this form in with your paper.

Name of Proofreader:

read this paper on (date):

S/he made the following suggestions, which I have either incorporated, or decided not to incorporate for reasons I describe below:

I affirm that a proof reader read this paper and provided comments, and that I considered those comments carefully and utilized those that I thought would improve the paper. Despite the fact that a proof-reader provided suggestions, I affirm that this paper is my own work.

Signature of paper writer and date: