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>One way of subtly enforcing cultural norms is a [...] a kind of playful teasing. This has also been observed in other indigenous circumpolar peoples, such as the Inuit, but not in mainstream Scandinavian cultures [...] ensure they never say something really hurtful, or bully the child
Yes, I think there's a benefit here but it's more important as an inoculation against bullying. It's the verbal equivalent of playing rough and tumble games on the lawn with Dad. Humans don't fight with each other physically nearly so much as they fight verbally.
That said I'm sceptical one can learn much about parenting from other cultures. Being a father or a mother is hard enough without trying to emulate other lineages and contexts. What we're trying to do, I think, is to include the best bits from our own childhoods, those things which brought value and hope and joy, and to de-emphasize the bad bits, or the seeming bad bits. A lot of the knowledge is tacit, which is why it's important to honour our own parents, otherwise it simply doesn't get transmitted.
The book Hunt, Gather, Parent looks at the Inuit and several other cultures. The findings are very consistent with this article. The book gives a lot more detailed information and a lot of examples and ideas about incorporating these concepts into families in places like the US that are in may be doing the opposite.
Is Hunt, Gather, Parent worth reading? I'm curious to check it out but I'm worried that it will be another book that falls prey to the "noble savage" literary trope[1].
If I could only read one parenting book I would probably choose this one. Actually I listened to it on Audible.
The author only looks at one hunter gatherer group. The rest are really just rural communities that have maintained a community and cultural wisdom that supports raising children. In either case the focus is on learning from these other cultures about parenting.
This mentions a form of playful teasing by close family members other than the parents. I wonder if this practice used to be more common in lots of cultures but has died out due to how disconnected many people have become from extended family. My wife grew up constantly seeing aunts, uncles, and cousins. Now we see my sister's family often, and my wife has a sort of playful teasing relationship with our nieces.