Riger EDUC 181
CULTURAL ANALYSIS OF FAMILY & DEVELOPMENT: GUIDELINES & RUBRIC
For this assignment, you will conduct a cultural analysis of human development, emphasizing the role of family. You will first choose
a developmental transition or stage of development and then identify a culture different from your own to research. You will write a 3-
4-page paper analyzing the transition/stage and the role of family to support individuals through that stage/transition in the culture you
choose. For the culture you select, you will gather information through scholarly literature and primary research with someone from
that culture (either through a direct interview, a recording of interviews, or through documentaries). The paper should emphasize
responsible research, cultural sensitivity, and critical reflection.
Objectives
1. Compare family’s role in developmental transitions across cultures
2. Evaluate cultural similarities and differences in developmental transitions
3. Analyze primary research data to uncover family’s influence on development
4. Reflect on personal biases and cultural assumptions about development and family
Follow these steps to get started:
1. Choose a distinct culture different from your own to compare (this can be broad culture like a country, or sub-cultures based on
religion, ethnicity, geography)
2. Select one specific developmental transition/stage to analyze (this can be a unique life stage (e.g. childhood, adolescence,
older adulthood) or a developmental transition (e.g. marriage, retirement, etc.)
3. Conduct a literature review of your stage/transition within the culture you select and synthesize at least 3 scholarly sources --
focus on specific cultural practices or beliefs instead of generalizations
4. Identify a primary source for the culture you chose to support your analysis – your primary source can be an interview with
someone from that culture who has experienced your transition, a recording of an interview, or a documentary.
5. Synthesize literature and primary research to provide a well-rounded analysis
Conducting an Interview
Conducting primary research through an interview is recommended, but not required – if you would like to interview someone but are
having trouble finding an interviewee, please contact me or one of the TAs. If you do not conduct an interview, you can search for
videos of interviews online (either on YouTube, Vimeo, UNC video database, documentaries, etc.) to find the information you need
for the analysis. If you are conducting an interview, please follow the below guidelines:
1. Identify interviewee. If you need help finding an interviewee, consider the following:
1. Contact university multicultural offices or international student associations, local cultural centers, community
organizations, or religious institutions related to the chosen cultures
2. Contact individuals within your network who have lived experience within the chosen cultures
3. Search social media groups or online forums dedicated to cultural discussions
2. Selection criteria: Interviewee should have direct experience with the selected developmental stage and chosen culture
3. Outreach: Provide a clear introduction of the assignment, the purpose of the interview, and why their insight is valuable.
4. Consent: Ask them for consent to participate and consent to provide their contact information for documentation
5. Share questions: Share the interview questions in advance of the interview so they know what to expect. Examples of
interview questions:
a. Can you describe some of the key practices related to (specific developmental transition) in your culture?
b. How does your culture celebrate, acknowledge milestones, or offer support through (specific transition)?
c. What role does family typically play in this (specific transition) in your culture?
d. Are there specific responsibilities or expectations placed on individuals by their families during this transition?
e. Can you share a personal experience or story about going through this (specific transition) in your culture?
f. Were there any challenges or significant moments that stood out to you during this transition?
6. Be flexible: Offer various times and formats such as in-person, phone, or Zoom
7. Show respect. Show respect for cultural norms and be aware of potential biases
8. Thank them: Send a thank-you expressing gratitude for their time and insights and offer to share the final paper with them
Paper Components
Format your paper using the below headers (centered and bolded) and respond to questions in under their associated section.
Header Components
▪ Describe why you chose this stage/transition and the specific culture you’re focusing on
Culture ▪ Provide an overview of the culture you chose and some of the most prevalent characteristics (e.g. geography,
language spoken, religious beliefs, political or economic systems, communication styles, etc.)
▪ Synthesize the research you conducted (both literature and primary research) and explain the stage/transition in the
Transitions culture you chose (e.g. if you chose the transition into adolescence in Japanese culture, synthesize the research you
identified and integrate the responses of your interviewee or insights you gleaned from the videos you watched).
▪ Describe the role of family in the stage/transition of the culture you chose (i.e., describe the impact of family roles
Family and dynamics on the stage/transition – e.g., physical resources, emotional support, socialization, stimulation,
belonging, attitudes, etc.)
▪ Explain the most prominent similarities, differences, and underlying complexities between your culture and the
culture you chose in terms of the stage/transition itself and the role of family
Reflection
▪ Reflect on your own cultural perspective and identify any potential biases, limitations, or constraints on your
analysis
Formatting Guidelines
▪ APA title page with name, date, name, and title (e.g. “Transition to Marriage in South Asian Immigrant Families”)
▪ 3-4 pages, double-spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman, 1-inch margins, no extra spaces in between paragraphs
▪ APA citations both in-text references and reference page (at least 4 scholarly references) -- Your reference page/list must
follow APA format. Under each citation, include a screenshot of a highlighted section from the article you read that connects
to how you cited it in your paper (the highlighted portion must be from the body of the article, not the abstract). If you cite the
same study multiple times, you only need to include one screenshot. See the sample reference page at the end of this document.
▪ College-level writing, logical flow of ideas, proofread
Rubric
Weak Evidence (0-50% of points) Moderate Evidence (50-75% of points) Strong Evidence (75-100% of points)
Paper Components (75% points)
Components in each section are not Components in each section are answered Components in each section are answered
answered thoroughly, thoughtfully, or generally, with an adequate about of detail thoroughly, thoughtfully, and concisely.
concisely. Ideas are not organized well, are and critical reflection. Most ideas are Ideas are organized well and easily flow
not thorough, and do not easily flow organized well and easily flow together. together. Clear demonstration of critical
together. Minimal to no demonstration of Adequate demonstration of critical thinking and evaluation. Analysis reflects
critical thinking and evaluation. Analysis thinking and evaluation. Analysis reflects of nuanced understanding of cultural
reflects of limited understanding of cultural of surface understanding of cultural context, consideration of ethics and
context, a lack of consideration of ethics context, a limited consideration of ethics cultural sensitivity, and quality of
and cultural sensitivity, and low quality of and cultural sensitivity, and moderate research. Primary and secondary research
research. Primary and secondary research quality of research. Primary and secondary is timely, relevant, and excellently
is not timely, relevant, or synthesized in a research is somewhat timely, relevant, and synthesized.
logical manner. adequately synthesized.
Writing Quality (25%)
Writing contains many proofreading errors, Writing is generally free from proofreading Writing is clearly proofread and free from
has many missing/duplicate words, errors and has few duplicate or missing duplicate words, missing words,
sentences are fragmented or run-on, and is words, fragmented and run-on sentences. fragmented or run-on sentences. Writing
clearly not proofread. Writing flows poorly. Writing is professional but does not flow flows well and engages the reader.
Formatting and references do not follow well. Most citations and references are Appropriate use of APA style in
APA close to APA format. formatting and references.
References
1. Chen, S., Ling, J., Buhlman, R., Tadavich, S., & Kao, T. A. (2025). Acceptability and satisfaction of a mindfulness-based
healthy eating and stress management program targeting economically marginalized families in a pilot trial. Journal of
Pediatric Psychology, 50(5), 402-411. [Link]
2. Li, R., Mi, T., Wu, D., Guo, Z., & Ren, Z. (2025). Family resilience and perceived stress: A Three‐Level Meta‐Analysis.
Family Process, 64(2). [Link]
3. Wilson, D. K., Quattlebaum, M., Sweeney, A. M., Simmons, T., Kipp, C., White, T., Wood, V., Van Horn, M. L., & Martin, P.
(2025). Outcomes of the linking exercise for advancing daily stress (LEADS) management and resilience randomized pilot
trial in African American adolescents and families. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 59(1)[Link]