Birth and Early Childcare in Maasai Society

Chapters 3 , 4 , and 5 constitute Part II of this book. By using a macrolevel lens to outline the staged social participation of Maasai children from different angles, this chapter examines local parental beliefs and practices, from the value placed on fertility to prenatal care, birth, and early childcare. African pastoralists are often recognized for their strong devotion to livestock, but less known is their deep affection for children. Local childrearing practices start from the prenatal stage, placing value on the health and the senses of respect and unity in the child. In daily routines, the well-noted pastoral personality of independence is exercised within a set of social values, which together shape local parenting ethnotheories and child development.