Developmental Niche

 BLOG #4- Developmental Niche- September 24th, 2024

Common Newfoundland tradition- Getting "Screeched" in 
I grew up in St. John’s, Newfoundland, a place where you knew your neighbors, your doctor, the mailman, and even the person who bagged your groceries. Whether at a local restaurant or the hardware store, you were bound to encounter someone who knew your family. In St. John’s, the community was everything; it felt like everyone was part of the same extended family. When I moved away from St. John’s with my best friend, Maggie, I wasn’t prepared for the cultural differences in Nova Scotia. Despite being just a two-hour flight away, my first day at St. Francis Xavier University felt anything but familiar.

As Maggie and I walked around campus, we waved and said hi to everyone, just like at home. But unlike back home, not one person waved back. Instead, we received puzzled looks, as if friendliness was a foreign concept. Looking back, it makes me laugh; those people weren’t being rude; they just weren’t used to such behavior. Their reactions reflected their different upbringing, whether they came from Toronto or the West.

This experience relates to the concept of the developmental niche, which explains how a child’s environment shapes their growth and behavior. It includes three key components: physical and social settings, customs of child care, and the psychology of caregivers.

Growing up in St. John’s, I was in a close-knit community where introducing myself was common, and my parents encouraged me to wave at everyone who passed me on the road. This was my developmental niche. So when I moved to Nova Scotia, it felt like culture shock. Now that I have just opened up and reflected on my upbringing, I encourage you, readers, to take a moment to reflect on your own experiences and consider how they might differ from those around you. After all, understanding our individual developmental niches can deepen our understanding of cultural psychology and diversity.


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