Instructional Ribbing as a Cultural Practice for Guiding Children

Valued cultural practices of marginalized communities are often critiqued by dominant cultural communities. In this study, U.S. Mexican-heritage mothers who had experience in Indigenous ways (and limited schooling and parenting classes) espoused instructional ribbing-a cultural practice involving indirectly guiding children's behavior through mock threats or lighthearted teasing to help them see how their misbehavior impacts others-as a positive, familiar practice that encourages active learning. However, European American mothers were very critical. Indications of cultural change came from U.S. Mexican-heritage mothers with experience in two cultural systems-Western schooling / parenting classes and Indigenous ways. Half viewed instructional ribbing positively, and half were negative and often referred to what they learned in parenting classes as a source of their change from prior generations. The value of instructional ribbing in some communities may be undermined by experience in dominant cultural systems where its familial and communal value and supports are not understood.