A child’s voice, and a child’s right to independence is a difficult subject to broach when taking into account the hundreds of different cultures of the world.

“‘Culture’ itself has been discussed and debated about for over a century. It is often defined simply as a ‘set of beliefs, attitudes, values, and standards of behaviour that are passed from one generation to the next’.” (Raman & Hopes, 2012).

Every culture is different and every family is different, but there are some things that are universally done when it comes to children and child-rearing. Universally, and for the majority of people, infant care is about nurturance and love. As babies grow and become children with their own thoughts and autonomy, the differences in child-rearing become apparent. In giving children a voice, the problem lies within the realm of parenting and the different parenting styles seen in different cultures.

Societal pressures: lifestyles - vegan, bottle vs. breastfed, vaccines vs. anti-vaxxers, etc. how much is too much, how much is not enough

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Religious Factors can also play a deterring factor in raising a child, from the extremes of mormonism (i.e polygamy) to the ignorance by other cultures of the muslim religion.

Social Class Factors play a major role. A person’s place or status in society can negatively or positively impact the way a child is raised and heard. This is connected with where a child is raised; was the child raised in an urban area or a rural area, in a small town or a bustling city.