Cultural Routines and Reflections: Building Parent–Child Connections—Hair Combing Interaction as a Cultural Intervention

Abstract

In this chapter, Warren discusses the multidimensional role of culture to understand the significance of hair combing interaction (HCI) for parent–child relationships. Culture is a powerful source of belonging—belonging to a family, a group of people, and/or to a place. How parents care for children—and their hair—can become a battle to belong or an easy opportunity to learn family cultural norms. This chapter discusses how the act of hair combing routines serves a cultural function in the development of children and their relationships with caregivers. The daily routines of living together, keeping house, feeding, and clothing family members all establish the family’s culture. Often, these routines are passed down intergenerationally. Warren then describes the general ways that children are socialized into their family culture, and the individual ways that they establish their sense of self within the family’s culture. The chapter ends with a series of pragmatic questions the helper might ask a family that will help broaden the understanding of culture and potential points of risk or resilience.