Bootstrapping Through the Cultural Comparison Minefield: Childhood Social Status and Friendship in the United States and Indonesia

It is likely that similar comments could be made by an 11-year-old girl in the United States, thus introducing the question: Is there commonality across cultures in the way children are attracted to and form relationships with their peers? Given the tremendous interest in children’s peer acceptance (e.g., Asher & Coie, 1990) and friendship (e.g., Bukowski, Newcomb, & Hartup, 1996), it is surprising that this question has received only limited attention (Krappmann, 1996).