From everyday participation to ways of life: Development of Yurakare children in Bolivia's Amazonian area

Abstract

Children's participation in the social structure from the first stages of life shapes not only their development but also how they learn to become well-adjusted members of their cultural environment. In the presented study, using focal-follow and participatory observation, we depict the reality in early and middle childhood (N = 23; ages 2–7) of Yurakare children living in Bolivia's Amazonian area. We attempt to determine whether the facets of the LOPI model (Learning by Observing and Pitching in) proposed by Rogoff are represented in the everyday way of life of Yurakare children. This is the first systematic, quantitative study of children's social environment and practice in this Indigenous community. The results show that the practices of the Yurakare people are based on two things: (1) inclusion of all ages in community life, which cultivates children to engage in useful activities even while having fun; (2) the primacy of mature activities, which is in line with the LOPI model.