Childhood Around the WorldExam 2• Behavior: the movements an animal makes• Most motor development changes happen during the first year of life• Early reflexive behavior◦ moro reflex: if its going to fall put out hands, fix to grab onto something(good for primates because of the hair)◦ stepping reflex: only happens for about two weeks, will act as if stepping when placed over the ground• Trends in motor ability(3-7 years old)◦ increase in strength(more muscle, more bone, less fat)◦ increase in control, precision, and coordination◦ locomotion: balance, pivot, stop quickly, start to hop, skip, gallop▪ skipping is a human specific trait and also a age related trait(don’t see grown people skipping)◦ upper body: catch and throw▪ only hominoid primates can do overhead throwing◦ hands: individual finger control(start to use writing utensil)▪ writing is human specific- our hands are versatilePlay• Preschool can be called the play years-spend time running, skipping, galloping, chasing• Play is hard to define• Play doesn't really hurt anyone, only pretend aggression• Characteristics:(how do we know its play?)• short sequences◦ repetitions◦ reordering◦ exaggeration◦ rapid alterations of behavior◦ no obvious immediate benefit◦ meta communication(this is play)• Which species play?◦ Birds(50%) mammals(almost 100%)• Cost of play◦ time and energy expenditure◦ accidental injury or death◦ delay of maturity◦ increased risk of predation• Locomotor play is universal among mammals(running, jumping, chasing)• Social play: playing with one another(friends jumping on each other, play fighting)• Mother child play found in chimpanzees and humans-because they have the movement versatility• Object play: playing with an object(humans are good with this and social play)• Benefits of play◦ practice for specific motor and cognitive skills◦ increased knowledge of social and physical environment◦ bonding and cohesion◦ increased flexibility and creativity• Studies done on mice, sheep, domestic cats and baboons◦ play doesn't happen right after birth, appears sometime later◦ peak of expression of play is short in comparison to the lifetime of the animal◦ play is limited to immature animals• Parakana children:◦ neither hunt nor gather◦ don’t build huts◦ under the age of 7, their life is consumed with play◦ exercise play-wide locomotor movements, also with objects◦ object play- with objects◦ construction play◦ rough and tumble play◦ fantasy play-uniquely human◦ games with rules-uniquely humanMovie: Nobody knows(Japanese movie with English subtitle)• Four children living in small Tokyo apartment, all the children have different fathers but the same mother• Akira-boy age 12, takes on the head of household role when mother leaves• Kyoko-sister, age 10• Shigeru-brother, age 6, playful• Yuki- 4 year old sister• Mother: Keiko- age 30, very young acting• Friend of the children- Saki- age 13, tries to help them when mother leaves• Boy who plays Akira won best Actor Award at the Cannes film festival• All of the children are not professional actors, it was their first movieMovie Synopsis• Movie starts off with the children and Keiko moving into a new apartment• The 3 younger children are placed into suitcases because they don't want the landlord knowing that 4 children live there• Keiko and Akira meet with the landlord and tell them that Akiras father is away(when in actuality Keiko never married any of the childrens fathers)• In the beginning Keiko seems to be an attentive mother, she helps them with homework(even though they don't attend school)• Eventually Keiko leaves for a few months and leaves Akira with some money and promises to return after her work is done• Akira seems to handle it well(seems like it has happened before) he makes dinner, goes grocery shopping, handles the money well• The mother returns and brings presents• She then tells them she has to leave again to work and Akira calls her selfish for leaving them• She gives him some more money and boards a train• This time doesn't go so well and she ends up being gone for more than 6 months• Akira starts to run out of money• He starts to hang out with these 3 boys who make the apartment a mess• Akira meets a girl name Saki who wants to help him• She prostitutes her self out and tries to give the money to Akira, who refuses it and throws it back at her• The power and water go out in the apartment and rent is not paid• Akira tries to call his mother but she has quit her job, he then gets her new number and she answers as a Mrs. something(signaling that she has gotten married)• The children have to go to the park for water and to wash their clothes and the apartment is so hot because it is the summer in Tokyo• One day while Akira is out, Yuki tries to get a cup out of the cupboard and falls and dies• They put her in a suitcase and bury her by the airport• The next day Keiko(the mother) sends them money and writes to Akira-I know I can count on you to take care of themFilm Notes• They live in one of the most densely populated cities in the world-yet they feel so alone, dont want to go to the police because they will be split up• Keiko has created a closed world for the children by not allowing them to go to school, which means they have no other friends besides each other• Keiko is a playful mother who enjoys playing with her children, her children want to play with her and want her to return home• Keiko has life beyond the family- she asks children “Am I not allowed to be happy?” she is cheerful to return to her other life when she returns home• Keiko criticizes the fathers of the children for neglecting the children financially but she doesn't see that she equally is neglecting her children• Akira calls his mother selfish for leaving the children• Akira and Kyoko live in different world then Shigeru and Yuki because they are more cognitively mature, so they understand whats going on around them(running out of money, no rent money, no water or electricity)• Akira has age specific needs- when he finally finds “friends” he goes and spends money in a arcade and getting food for his friends• Akira hides the mothers neglect by pretending that she sent holiday money to the children• Is keiko a good mother?◦ Family life is organized, no one fights◦ Everyone has their own