Introduction
Extraordinary developments of cognitive, physical, emotional, and social aspect starts in the early childhood. The range of skills and abilities of infants has limitations when they enter into the world. The source of wonder for the parents or caregivers are the child new development of cognitive, motor, social, and language skills. When experts study about the human development they discover the richness and variety of subjects of interests. Alternatively, every individual has personal experiences with the development of a child. However, some people encounter difficulties to clearly understand the exact ways on how or why human being learn, grow, and change. The social and cultural issues in early childhood differ in many countries in accordance with its standards. The quality of the early childhood system has a strong indicator in the attention provided to the children by the parents especially their mother.
The topic on “Social and Cultural Issues in Early Childhood: A UAE Perspective” is an interesting subject for a research. The preferences in choosing the topic considered the current status of the early childhood in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The research focused on the Early Childhood Care and Education or ECCE that supports the children in their growth, survival, development, and education. Particularly, ECCE supports in the nutrition, health, hygiene, physical, emotional, and social areas. The involvement of the parents in their children’s learning is vital; the early childhood centers motivates the parents to devote their time for the socialization and learning of their children during the early childhood stage.
Overview of the Social and Cultural Issues in Early Childhood
Policies and practices of the early childhood are formed from the young child’s images and discourses. It considered the major point of views that influenced the entire system of the child’s development. The developmental perspective emphasized the physical and psychological growth of the young children during their early childhood. In addition, the perspective highlighted the dependencies and vulnerabilities of the children’s lives during their formative phases or period of growth. The perspectives on the political and economic aspects are considered of the principles of its development that transcends into its educational and social interventions necessary in the process. The principles are strengthened by the economic models of the human capital. The social and cultural perspectives influenced the awareness of the community with respect that early childhood is a well-developed status of personality with diversified ways of practices. The implications of the practices focused on the models, objectives, and standards. Others perspectives re-framed from the conventional approaches of the theories, policies, and practices in the perspective of human rights that respect the dignity of the young children. The children’s dignity demonstrates their capacities to contribute to the community and the development of services rendered for them. Overall, the perspectives specified the categories of the issues that ranges from the beginning of the child’s early childhood.
Status of the Social and Cultural Issues in Early Childhood in Dubai
In Dubai, the social context of early childhood has developed the education and human resources that assist its objectives. Specifically, its social context described its relation to the early childhood education area. In 1972, in Abu Dhabi, the first kindergarten was established and later in Dubai, the three kindergartens were established by the Ministry of Education or MoE. In addition, in 2004, the ministry created two units: unit one, to take charge of the existing kindergartens; and unit two, the development programs to serve the children. The attention of the parents is an indicator for the quality of the early childhood system. The system believes that parents, mothers in particular need spend time with their children. In the Arab country, the education of children during the pre-school stage is entirely the responsibility of the women. The leadership of women is necessary for the improvement in the early childhood of young children. However, women face their challenges on how to continue their liberation and how to perform motherhood with their professional responsibility. Dubai as one of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development or OECD countries, parents have three separate strands such as compensated parental leave, incentives, and early childhood services and have a family-friendly work.
Emirati or Emirian families are traditional in their approaches to the young children. The families are large, most mothers feel their duty to stay with their children especially in the early years. Some Emirinian parents employ housemaids to assist in the child-rearing responsibilities, sometimes they depend most of the time to the housemaids, and slightly neglect their young children due to their hectic schedule at work. At present, women were more educated compared in the 1950s. Consequently, women desire to have their careers and to contribute their personal development to the society through compensated work outside their home. The economy of Dubai has significant loss from the women’s weak labor market participation. The employment of housemaids is a great help in rearing the children in Dubai, UAE and results to issues many times on the situation. These two issues are prevalent in the Emirinian families; first, the infants and young children, mostly spend their time with the care of their housemaids; and second, most of the housemaids are non-Arabic speaking or from non-Arabic countries and only have less training in rearing children. The authorities of the UAE are aware that parenting education and proper information are necessary. In addition, the UAE authority is always disseminating the information on early childhood education and care for the improvement, especially in the critical stage of early childhood development. The parents in Dubai and in the entire UAE would benefit from the public awareness of the child care programs.
Issues related to Child Development Theories
It is significant to clearly understand how young children respond from the environment and how they utilized the effects in their development as children. Most of the theorists agreed that children have their respective period in their lives that they become mature enough biologically to obtain some skills that they understood before their maturation. Babies and toddlers are more flexible with learning, understanding, and use the language compared to older children. Most young children are capable and very open to develop many things during their developmental stages specifically. However, the capability to develop many things do not just occur easily, they need the proper environment to develop it. For example, all babies have the capability to grow physically in wonderful amounts in the first year of their lives. Conversely, if they lack proper nutrients and are less nurtured by the parents or caregivers, they lack the tools to grow well, physically, mentally, and emotionally. The condition calls for a thorough understanding of parents or employed housemaids to care for the young children as they grow. The illness, neglect or abuse, and shortage of necessities such as medical care or proper nutrients will hinder a child to absorb or understand all the basic tools and stimulation they needed to obtain abilities in life at a certain period. Some theorists disagreed on how significant it is for young children to have the special stimuli at every stage of growth to reach the expected milestones. The stages are the critical period as the theorists defined it, or other theorists considered it as the sensitive period. Another example, infancy is the period when children can learn trust from parents or caregivers who take care of their needs, for their safety, and to love them. The ability to trust and to love having the significant aspect to grow better positively.
Conclusion
The involvement of parents is very desirable in all the programs for young children. Also, some programs include educational needs of special children. The early childhood education centers will receive children with specific needs and put into a proper cooperative agreement with social and health services agency. In Dubai, the Ministry of Social Affairs or MSA has customized the community service for young children with specific needs. The MSA also welcomes the families with special needs children and provide the best assistance by the experts in the field. In 2009, the MoE issued guidelines that concerned for special needs children both in public kindergartens and other schools. In addition, the Dubai Community Health Center offers the assistance for the health care of young children and their families. In other countries worldwide, the rearing of children with special needs is still a challenge; the laws or government policies encourage and allow to access to the services with adequate funding appropriately and systematically.
Reference
Alsuwaigh, S., & Faour, B. (2010, September). Early Childhood in the Arab Countries: Status and Challenges. UNESCO, 1-51.
Bennett, J. (2009). Early Childhood Education and Care in Dubai. Knowledge and Human Development Authority, 1-51.
Woodhead, M. (2006). Changing perspectives on early childhood: theory, research and policy. UNESCO, 1-43.
