Shared Meals and Neighborhood Walks. Longitudinal and Comparative Perspectives on Emerging Personhood I in 1-3 Year Olds in Norway and Indonesia

A growing body of cultural psychological and social anthropological research demonstrate how human development is largely context bound. One aspect of globalization and increased migration is that formerly homogeneous societies like the Norwegian now contain diverse socialization practices. In this situation increased knowledge and awareness of how socialization practices differ, and on how they relate to the development of children, is necessary to further tolerance and informed debate on issues of child upbringing and societal sustainability. In this study, we contribute to such knowledge by comparing language socialization and identity development of young children in Norway and Indonesia. We have conducted participant observation and spent two days with eight children in a kindergarten in rural middle Norway every four months from October 2015 to January 2018. In rural middle Java we have followed five children in their homes and spent two days with them every six months from December 2015 to November 2017. All the children were born in 2014. The data consists of field observations and sound recordings of naturally occurring interaction involving each child. We have analyzed the Norwegian and Javanese datasets longitudinally and cross-sectional with a focus on shared attention practices, and on learning context. By comparing and contrasting the data we discuss how dynamics of social awareness and social affiliation on the one hand, and individualizing practices on the other, afford emerging agentive positions relative to the different sociocultural contexts of the children.