U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child: A cross-cultural view.

The U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (U.N. General Assembly, 1989) enumerates substantive children's rights and implementation processes through which these rights are to be realized. Cultural differences in interpreting the Convention could occur in both of the aforementioned areas. This article examines cultural variability in beliefs about (a) the appropriate distribution of power in families and institutions; (b) the degree to which behavior should be regulated by individuals versus through external rules; (c) the scope of responsibility individuals should have for themselves, their immediate and extended families, and society's children; and (d) the importance of individual rights versus group and family loyalties in the ordering of society. Cultures may vary widely in how the best interests of the child are defined. Awareness of these areas of cultural divergence could help decision makers draft and implement culturally sensitive international policy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)