In view of increasing diversity regarding the cultural background of children in pre-schools and the like, it is important to know how they differ in their perception of social networks. This study investigated the perception of social support networks in young children from three different eco-social milieus. Participants (N = 138, 4–6 year olds) were recruited from German urban nuclear families and two groups of rural extended families in Central America. The support networks were analyzed by means of two game scenarios for “Sharing” and “Asking for Help” with a family collage in addition. Results show significant differences between groups in regard to the size, structure, and relationship patterns of support networks. Networks of urban German children included mainly friends, parents, and siblings, whereas those from Central American children also included other members of the extended family. The perceived importance of father, mother, and siblings differed between groups. Children’s willingness to share correlated with parental socio-cultural orientation. Practical implications for early childhood education are discussed in view of children’s socio-cultural background.

鉴于学龄前儿童等的文化背景越来越多样化，了解他们对社交网络的看法有何不同是很重要的。本研究调查了来自三种不同生态社会环境的幼儿对社会支持网络的看法。参与者 ( N = 138，4-6 岁）是从德国城市核心家庭和中美洲的两组农村大家庭中招募的。支持网络通过“分享”和“寻求帮助”两个游戏场景以及家庭拼贴进行分析。结果表明，不同群体在支持网络的规模、结构和关系模式方面存在显着差异。德国城市儿童的网络主要包括朋友、父母和兄弟姐妹，而来自中美洲儿童的网络也包括大家庭的其他成员。不同群体对父亲、母亲和兄弟姐妹的感知重要性不同。儿童的分享意愿与父母的社会文化取向相关。