HD 4: Chapter 4 Ecology of Parenting Lecture Notes Instructor: Gail Salata

Parenting Implementing a series of decisions about the socialization of one’s children

Parenting Is bidirectional (reaction to a child’s behavior) Is dynamic (changing with time) Is universal but highly variable among different cultures and groups

“There is little consensus in the United States today as to what children should be like when they grow up or what parents should do to get them there.”

Universal Parenting Goals Ensuring physical health and survival Developing behavioral capacities for economic self-maintenance Instilling behavioral capacities for maximizing cultural values (example: morality, prestige, achievement…)

Macrosystem Influences on Parenting Political ideology Culture Socioeconomic status Ethnicity Religion

Culture: The knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, law, customs, and traditions acquired by members of a society.

Did you know? Attachment is critical for socialization. The most critical time for influencing a child’s achievement motivation and intellectual development is the first two years of life. Appropriate parenting practices involve knowledge of child development and developmental appropriateness, guidance, and discipline. The quality of the attachment correlates with later intellectual and social development.

Inappropriate Parenting Practices Is based on the parent’s needs Has expectations that are impossible for the child to meet Ignores the child’s strengths and weaknesses Employs extreme/harsh discipline including violence, threats and verbal assaults Does not provide basic care or support Takes frustrations out on the child.

Parents Should Never… Call children derogatory names Threaten to leave a child Say, “I wish you were never born” Sabotage the parenting efforts of your spouse Punish when you have lost control of yourself Expect a child to think, feel or behave like an adult

Maltreatment: “Any intentional harm to or endangerment of a child. It includes unkindness, harshness, rejection, neglect, deprivation, abuse, and or violence.”

Maltreatment Occurs in all economic, social, ethnic, and religious groups. Maltreating parents fail to meet the physical or emotional needs of the developing child.

Child Maltreatment/Abuse Maltreatment during childhood has far reaching consequences into adulthood. Role reversal is the most commonly observed psychological characteristic in abusive parents (parent looks to child to meet his/her needs).

Potential Consequences of Maltreatment Inability to trust Low self-esteem Depression Relationship problems Sexual problems Learning problems Eating disorder Substance abuse problems

Reflection Moment Discuss with a classmate…. What environmental factors contribute to child abuse?

“Poverty, unemployment, social isolation, transient lifestyles, lack of “Poverty, unemployment, social isolation, transient lifestyles, lack of recognition of the rights of children, cultural acceptance of corporal punishment, and limited help for families in crises are all environmental factors that correlate highly with abuse.”

Appropriate Parenting Practices Involve… Knowledge of child development and child appropriateness Guidance & Discipline

Parenting Historical trends and individuals have influenced parenting. Parenting requires continual adaptation to children’s changing capacities.

Children’s Characteristics that Influence Family Dynamics and Parenting Styles Age Gender Special Needs Temperament Birth Order

Parenting Adolescents “Studies have shown that adolescents whose parents are warm, affectionate, communicative toward them, and have certain standards for behavior are less likely to abuse drugs or engage in delinquent acts or join gangs than children who do not have good parental relationships.”

Parenting Teens Adolescence is a time for parent-child relations to be tested. Many of the demands of everyday life can become areas of conflict. Research suggests that the effect of conflict between a teen and one parent can be offset by a positive relationship with the other parent. Parenting styles established in childhood have an impact on adolescent problem behavior.

Temperament: “The combination of innate characteristics that determine an individual’s sensitivity to various experiences and responsiveness to social interaction.”

Temperament  Easy  Difficult  Slow To Warm Up

Goodness-of-Fit When parents accommodate parenting styles to the child’s temperament

9 Characteristics of Temperament Activity level Rhythmicity Distractibility Approach/withdrawal Adaptability Attention span and persistence Intensity of reaction Threshold of responsiveness Quality of mood

Parents provide different socializing environments for boys and for girls.

Disabilities can influence family dynamics and parenting styles.

 Family characteristics influence parenting styles. Size Birth Order Gender Marital Quality

Parenting Styles Authoritative (Democratic) Authoritarian (Parent-Centered) Permissive (Child-Oriented) Uninvolved (Disengaged)

Cultures & Parenting Cultures vary on the emphasis of the goals and how they implement them. How various cultures prioritize the universal parenting goals may explain differences in maternal behavior toward infants. Different societies varied their expectations of behavior according to age.

Parenting Styles The socioeconomic status of a family influences parenting style. Lower: Tend to emphasize obedience. Higher: Tend to emphasize more reasoning, independence, and creativity.

Parenting Styles Parental occupations (exosystems) tend to influence parenting styles Skills required at work are often emphasized at home.

Parenting Styles Affect… Children’s attachment Self-regulation Prosocial behavior Competence Achievement motivation

Isolated Families Occupational mobility The breakdown of the neighborhoods The separation of residential from business areas Large school districts Separate patterns of social life for different age groups The delegation of child care to outside institutions

Reflection Moment What is the greatest threat to the American family?

“ “ The greatest threat to the American family is the lack of time together.”