Babies: A Childhood In Africa

Words: 671
Pages: 3

A childhood in Africa is different from one in Japan, Mongolia, or the United States. Cultural, social, and economic differences are inevitable. However, there is always a question of nurture and nature. Which is more powerful? Although the infants in Babies are shown in different geographical locations, and immersed in separate cultures, the development process is almost identical. The child in San Francisco, Hattie, appears to be born into an economically fortunate family. This child seemed to receive the most attention from adults, and to have the most advantageous beginning to life. An audience can see this child attend a baby yoga class, had books read to her, receive toys, and was generally dotted on by her parents. In Tokyo, Mari has a similar start in life to Hattie. She has attentive parents, a clean and sterile home, and a plethora of toys. She is shown going on walks with her Mom and exploring the city from her stroller. While several children are scooping bits of rice from a bowl, across the globe in Africa, Hattie is given an entire banana in the clean, safe environment of an enclosed home. …show more content…
While the other children across the world are seen playing with cats, he is seen playing with flies. In many scenes he is cared for and played with by older children. This is a similar experience to the child from Mongolia. For Bayar, there is often little to know adult supervision. The child is pictured also crawling around in the dirt amongst the cows and goats. He appears to send the most time by himself or being watched by his brother. In several instances he is picked on by his older brother, including hitting him and leaving him alone in the field. In Africa specifically, the adult attention appears to be limited to females