An investigation was conducted to better understand the interaction between physical and social settings, culturally based customs for parenting, and the ideology of caretakers in two Israeli cultures undergoing modernization. Yemenite and Kurdish parenting systems were examined by observing mother/infant interactions in unstructured naturalistic settings. Participating were a total of 16 Yemenite and 16 Kurdish mothers with infants 6 and 9 months of age; subjects resided in relatively homogeneous Israeli villages that were supportive of tradition. Observations were made at 15-second intervals for 45 minutes on several variables, including visual, vocal, tactual-kinesthetic, affective-expressive, and object-oriented behaviors. Traditionally, Yemenites have emphasized emotional support and intellectual growth for infants, while Kurdish people have emphasized motor and physical growth, autonomy, and self-sufficiency. Findings indicate that after 30 years of a common modernization experience, the Yemenite and Kurdish communities still exhibit significant differences in mother/infant interactions. These differences are largely congruent with traditional differences in infant rearing ideologies. In general, it was concluded that culture and tradition markedly affect parenting behavior even in societies undergoing drastic change. Further, results suggested that customs understandable within a modern ideology may be the ones that are retained. (RH)