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9 JuLY 2008
NO 1319
Rhythms of care
At moments in which individuals find themselves fully in rhythm with one another – dancing, singing, hand clapping, in sexual activity, in a game of table tennis, in the rapid interplay of ideas in a rap session – these moments of rhythmic exchange provide an experience of close togetherness for the persons involved. Rhythmic activities seem to confirm the experience of repetition and continuity of repetition – and with it a sense of permanency and a promise of predictability (Maier, 1978: pp. 36-43). The individual participating in rhythmic activity experiences a quality of mutual unity and interdependence (Brazelton, Koslowski, & Main, 1974; Lewis & Rosenblum, 1974; Maier, 1978, 1979; Schaffer, 1977).
In early childhood much of the care givers' and infants' energy goes into a kind of "dance" where each one tries to fall in step with the other in a cyclical pattern (Hersh and Levin, 1978, p. 3). In this process of mutual inclusion, both search for a way to establish and to maintain a joint rhythm. Rhythmicity is moreover the hallmark of infant toys and activities. Rhythmic experiences, such as rattling a rattle, playing patty-cake, listening to lullabyes, or rocking jointly, bring infant and caring adult into a single frame of joint action. These experiences seem not to be limited to early child developmental periods but tend to be essential for effective interpersonal relationships throughout life. In a number of studies of this phenomenon, rhythmic interactions have been noted as the "molecules of human behavior" and basic to all human communications (Byers, 1972; Condon, 1975; Maier, 1979).
In group care individuals are brought together for varying time spans, where each seems to have his or her own rhythm without having been previously "tuned" to the others' style of life. Opportunities have to be created for these participants to discover common rhythms.
Frequently the children themselves create such moments – and occasionally to their caring adults' consternation. Sing-song slogans, for instance, are most contagious for their rhythmic patterns; they tend to be chanted far beyond the outsider's endurance, while the chanters themselves experience a deep sense of unity. It is not surprising in periods of tension that the single rhythmic banging of a spoon at mealtime, perhaps an accidental occurrence, is apt to be picked up in a flash by a whole group. It is the very search for belongingness which makes rhythmic unity such a desirable factor at moments of severe uneasiness in a residential unit. The same contagious ingredients may be observed in the rhythmic chanting or clapping at rallies – and even more so, in demonstrations.
Group care workers can make valid use of this knowledge of the power of rhythmicity. A worker may want to utilize rhythmic interactions as a means for becoming a more vital part of the unit by initiating such exchanges as tossing a ball, singing, dancing, or jam sessions, engaging in a modern "shake" (the exchange of several rhythmic alternate handclaps in place of the traditional handshake) or finding a common rhythm in speech, body movements or head nodding. At moments of tension, a familiar record with an inviting rhythm, the tossing around of a quickly exchanged beanbag or a slowly floating balloon can more readily lead to rhythmic togetherness and relaxation than a worker's well meant words of admonishment. In these moments of joint rhythmicity, participants have opportunity to experience a sense of unity and anchorage.
Rituals in many ways constitute an institutionalized form of psychological rhythmicity. Rituals represent a cultural confirmation of a repeated practice, while the participants experience a deep sense of togetherness. In group care, and for children and youth in general, rituals have particular significance as long as they are the children's rituals rather than adult ordained routines. Rituals, more likely than not, arise out of some spontaneously repeated practice. In one group care program, each child gave an old statue in the corner a pat or slap before getting ready for bed. This ritual represented an essential event for the children, eventually becoming just as important as the worker's nightly goodnight bidding or personal pat.
Each institutional unit can probably list its own significant rituals. Examples cannot be cited here. Rituals have to emerge on their own and require the workers' full support as important events in their children's lives, even if they may appear rather ridiculous from the adult's perspective. Conversely, caretakers need to guard against perceiving as "rituals" such highly desirable routines as teethbrushing, waiting for everyone to be seated at mealtime, or other behavioral expectations of adults. These are routines and need to be dealt with as such for their practical necessity rather than for any remnant of sacredness pertaining to ritual. Routines serve to accomplish required tasks smoothly with minimal energy and time investment, to achieve temporary order for each person involved. Rather, rituals introduce procedures which prolong or delay the business at hand and enliven the activity, establishing it as an event of consequence close to the realm of sanctity.
HENRY MAIER
Maier, Henry. (1987). Developmental group care of children and youth: Concepts and Practice. New York. The Haworth Press. pp. 46-48.
REFERENCES
Brazelton, T.B.; Koslowski, B. and Main, M. (1974). The origins of reciprocity: The early mother-infant interaction. In Lewis,M. and Rosenblum, L.A. (Eds.) The Effects of the Infant on its Caregiver. New York. John Wiley. pp. 49-76.
Byers, P. (1972). From Biological Rhythm to Cultural Pattern: A Study of Minimal Units. New York. Columbia University Press.
Condon, W. (1975). Speech makes babies move. In Lewin, R. (Ed.) Child Alive. New York. Doubleday. pp. 75-85.
Hersh, S.P. and Levin, K. (1978). How love begins between parent and child. Children Today, 7, 2. 2-6, p. 47.
Lewis, M. and Rosenblum, L.A. (Eds.). (1974). The Effects of the Infant on its Caregiver. New York. John Wiley.
Maier, H. W. (1978). Three Theories of Child Development (3rd revised edition). New York. Harper and Row.
Maier, H. W. (1979). The core of care. Child Care Quarterly, 8, 4. pp. 161-173.
Schaffer, H.R. (1977). Mothering. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press.
