Winner of the 2014 Maccoby Award from the American Psychological Association, Division 7! Born with the destiny of becoming a Mayan sacred midwife, Chona Pérez has carried on centuries-old traditional Indigenous American birth and healing practices over her 85 years. At the same time, Chona developed new approaches to the care of pregnancy, newborns, and mothers based on her own experience and ideas. In this way, Chona has contributed to both the cultural continuities and cultural changes of her town over the decades. In Developing Destinies, Barbara Rogoff illuminates how individuals worldwide build on cultural heritage from prior generations and at the same time create new ways of living. Throughout Chona's lifetime, her Guatemalan town has continued to use longstanding Mayan cultural practices, such as including children in a range of community activities and encouraging them to learn by observing and contributing. But the town has also transformed dramatically since the days of Chona's own childhood. For instance, although Chona's upbringing included no formal schooling, some of her grandchildren have gone on to attend university and earn scholarly degrees. The lives of Chona and her town provide extraordinary examples of how cultural practices are preserved even as they are adapted and modified. Developing Destinies is an engaging narrative of one remarkable person's life and the life of her community that blends psychology, anthropology, and history to reveal the integral role that culture plays in human development. With extensive photographs and accounts of Mayan family life, medical practices, birth, child development, and learning, Rogoff adeptly shows that we can better understand the role of culture in our lives by examining how people participate in cultural practices. This landmark book brings theory alive with fascinating ethnographic findings that advance our understanding of childhood, culture, and change. "The beautifully written narrative is highly accessible, even gripping. It is enriched by photos that span decades. The account is personal and moving, weaving in stories of the author's own evolution as a participant-observer and ethnographer... At the same time, it has very broad reach, illuminating some of the most profound themes of human development. The book truly is a must read for all with interests in development or culture." -- Susan A. Gelman, University of Michigan, review in PsycCRITIQUES (American Psychological Association) "A rare glimpse into the changes in people's lives and environment over the course of seven decades. The dozens of images, together with their informative captions, are superbly integrated into the text...Recommended" -- A. H. Koblitz, Arizona State University, CHOICE "This book is a must-read for those interested in culture, child development, globalization, and birth." -- Ashley E. Maynard, University of Hawai`i, review in Ethos "Barbara Rogoff breaks new ground in the way she thinks about change in a traditional society." -- Arte Maya Tzutuhil Newsletter "A lovely and fascinating anthropological look at culture and the impact of one woman, and her community role as a midwife, on her community. Rogoff addresses gender, child development, religion/spirituality, and informal community-based learning processes.... Her book is innovative.... It is sure to be a welcome addition to many fields, in education and beyond."-- finalist for the Jackie Kirk Outstanding Book Award Developing Destinies is an engaging narrative of one remarkable person's life and the life of her community that blends psychology, anthropology, and history to reveal the integral role that culture plays in human development. The royalties for this book are donated to the Taa' Pi't Learning Center and other projects in this Mayan town. " Very moving, and highly informative . An anthropologically perceptive and personally involved account of a long-term study by a gifted American social scientist. Bravo!" -- Jerome Bruner , Ph.D., University Professor, New York University "Barbara Rogoff portrays the lives of individuals in Guatemala with vividly rich detail." -- T. Berry Brazelton , M.D., Professor of Pediatrics, Emeritus Harvard Medical School and Founder, Brazelton Touchpoints Center "This captivating and original book is at once a deeply informed portrait of Mayan culture as lived experience, an introduction to the worldwide impact of 20th century social change on rural communities, and the story of a Guatemalan midwife whose experience embodies the traditions and history of her people. Anyone seeking to understand the 'majority world,' where most children are growing up, will enjoy and benefit from this finely wrought book ." -- Robert LeVine , Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Education and Human Development, Harvard Graduate School of Education "Rogoff brilliant ly captures cultural change and continuity by locating a colorful, wise, and resili