Culture-Based Parenting in Indonesian Early Childhood: A Systematic Literature Review of Values, Transmission Mechanisms, Caregiving Agents, and Responses to Modernization

Abstract

Indonesia’s cultural diversity generates early childhood caregiving practices shaped by distinct values, symbols, languages, traditions, and family structures. Yet culture-based parenting studies remain fragmented across ethnic communities and often describe cultural values without clarifying how those values are translated into everyday caregiving. This review maps the cultural values underlying early childhood parenting in Indonesia, identifies transmission mechanisms and caregiving agents, examines developmental domains associated with such practices, and explores family responses to modernization and digitalization. The study is designed as a systematic literature review reported with reference to PRISMA 2020. Searches cover peer-reviewed empirical studies in Indonesian and English published from 2019 to 28 August 2026 using Google Scholar, Garuda, ERIC, and DOI cross-searching. The preliminary synthesis matrix contains 22 empirical reports representing Dayak, Sundanese, Javanese, Sasak, Mandailing Batak, Malay, Minangkabau, Bugis–Makassar, Madurese, Acehnese, Flores, Alor, and Sunda Wiwitan contexts. Five recurring transmission mechanisms emerged: modelling and habituation; cultural communication through language, advice, songs, and stories; children’s participation in rituals and traditional activities; responsibility and social boundary setting; and collective caregiving by extended family and community members. These practices were most often associated with moral-character formation, socio-emotional development, cultural identity, religiosity, autonomy, and belonging. Modernization did not simply eliminate cultural parenting; instead, families selectively negotiated and adapted inherited values. The review proposes the Early Childhood Cultural Parenting Transmission Framework (KTPB-PAUD), linking cultural value sources, caregiving agents, transmission mechanisms, child experiences, developmental outcomes, and contexts of social change