Assignment: Families with school-aged children:
Researcher Lareau describes middle-class parents engaged in "concerted cultivation" parenting (which involves actively fostering their children's talents, opinions, creativity & skills by enrolling children in organized activities & closely monitoring them; parents are also more likely to reason with children). Middle-class parents expect teachers & institutions to accommodate their children, thus children grow up with a sense of entitlement. In contrast, working-class and poor parent children experience more of a "natural growth" (focus on obedience, proper behavior, less organized activities, more play outside with cousins and siblings, and less hectic lives). These parents use directives rather than reasoning when talking to children; working-class and poor parents and their children may be more intimidated by people who have power. This results in children developing a sense of constraint. This study also found that middle-class African-American families appear to be more like middle-class White families when it comes to parenting styles and interactions with children. It is suggested that social class may be more important than race in some aspects of family life and parent-child relationships.
Based on your life experiences, observations, and knowledge from other classes, do you agree with the findings of this article? Explain why or why not? What are the implications of this study to teachers and human service professionals? How do you think you may work differently with parents from different social classes? Please use anything discussed in class, any research from other classes, and personal experience to use as evidence or to help support your opinion.
The response should include a reference list. Double-space, using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.