Race and Development

There is an emerging body of research indicating that racial awareness and preferences may be salient among preschoolers and other young children. Many studies have found that children are actually aware of race and diversity at very young ages, even as young as six months. Through processes such as modeling, exposure and peer networking, the socialization of children becomes a critical time for intervention concerning the promotion of cultural awareness and inclusion. Therefore, by promoting awareness of diversity through multicultural materials in early-educational settings, children are more likely to be socially tolerant toward others and to maintain those positive interactions not only as children, but also as adults. However, the field lacks in empirical evidence regarding the effects of cultural influence and its function in overall human development while also still not being able to pinpoint at what age point children actually understand race and ethnicity, both when observing others and while viewing their own ethnic identity. Culture and its perspectives have changed dramatically over time, and will continue to change, which is why proving the benefits of multiculturalism and positive exposure, whether through life experiences or through something as structured as a multicultural educational curriculum, is something that is becoming increasingly more important every day. Cultural processes are only seen in one percent of papers in the world of child development and psychopathology as of the year 2000, when so much of our day-to-day experiences are directly affected by culture. In the end, America is a multicultural society, and whether we are researching monoracial children or the ever rapidly increasing group of biracial or multiracial children and people, examining how and when children across development comprehend ideas pertaining to race is essential in learning about the development of one's own identity and their perceptions of others.