Challenging Attachment Theory: Ethnocentrism, Science, and Child Development

Drawing on decades of cross-cultural research, Heidi Keller reveals how attachment theory is rooted in WEIRD societies representing less than 10% of humanity, despite claims to universality.Through rigorous analysis, she systematically deconstructs core assumptions, demonstrating how a culturally specific model has been inappropriately universalised and exposing fundamental scientific flaws. Keller presents compelling ethnographic evidence from diverse cultural communities, revealing multiple valid pathways to forming secure relationships that attachment theory fails to recognise.She shows how feeding practices, cultural learning, and community-based caregiving create strong bonds that don't fit the Western dyadic mother-child model.Beyond theoretical critique, she examines the real-world consequences of attachment theory's dominance in parenting interventions across the Global South, family court custody decisions, and early childhood education programs, demonstrating how these applic