Darcia Narvaez, PhD

Biography:

Darcia Narvaez, Professor Emerita of Psychology, University of Notre Dame researches moral development and flourishing from an interdisciplinary perspective, integrating anthropology, neuroscience, clinical, developmental and educational sciences. Her earlier careers include professional musician, business owner, classroom music teacher, classroom Spanish teacher and seminarian, among other things. She grew up bilingual/bicultural but calls the earth her home. Dr. Narvaez’s current research explores how early life experience influences wellbeing and moral character in children and adults. She is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and the American Educational Research Association and former editor of the Journal of Moral Education. She is on the advisory boards of Attachment Parenting International, Kindred, Your Whole Baby, and the Self Reg Institute. She has numerous publications, including more than 20 books such as Indigenous Sustainable Wisdom: First Nation Know-how for Global Flourishing; Basic Needs, Wellbeing and Morality: Fulfilling Human Potential and Embodied Morality: Protectionism, Engagement and Imagination. A recent book, Neurobiology and the Development of Human Morality: Evolution, Culture and Wisdom won the 2015 William James Book Award from the American Psychological Association and the 2017 Expanded Reason Award. She blogs for Psychology Today (“Moral Landscapes”) and hosts the webpage EvolvedNest.org.

Abstract: The Postpartum Nest: Helping Parents Lay the Foundation for Their Child's Lifelong Health

Every animal has a developmental system or nest for its young that matches up with the maturational schedule of offspring. Humans have a nest too although many people don’t realize it. The human nest refers to the experiences and care that a child receives after birth and in the years that follow. Modern child raising has changed significantly from the nest of our ancestors with concerning results. Learn more about the epigenetic impact of the early nest and how early life experience influences wellbeing and sociomoral character in children and adults as well as societal culture. Delegates will gain an understanding of the essential components of the early nest (including touch, responsivity, breastfeeding, alloparents, positive social support, play, and soothing perinatal experiences) along with ways to empower parents to incorporate them into their infant’s care to create a foundation for lifelong health and well being.