Class-Based Parenting Styles
Post an initial 250 word response by Wednesday and three responses (50 words minimum) to other students
CHP 4 DQ
Annette Lareau discusses in her book Unequal Childhoods that parenting strategies vary by social class. For example, middle-class parents are more likely to stress independence and self-direction, whereas working-class parents prioritize obedience to external authority. She points out that it is unclear whether these differences affect the long-term outcomes of children.
To Do:
After watching the interview with Annette Lareau (see link above), answer the following discussion questions:
- How do parents of different social classes socialize their children differently?
- Describe these differences
- Explain what Lareau concludes about how family socialization reproduces social inequality.
Grading:
Post an initial 250 word response by Wednesday and three responses (50 words minimum) to other students
Annette Lareau’s Unequal Childhoods presents a compelling look at how parenting strategies differ by social class and how these differences shape children’s futures. According to Lareau, middle-class parents typically use a method she calls “concerted cultivation.” This involves enrolling children in organized activities, encouraging verbal negotiation, and fostering reasoning skills. These practices help children feel comfortable interacting with adults and institutions, such as schools and healthcare systems. Children raised this way often develop a sense of entitlement, which equips them to advocate for themselves in formal settings.
Class-Based Parenting Styles
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In contrast, working-class and poor parents more commonly adopt a strategy known as “the accomplishment of natural growth.” They emphasize obedience, allow children more unstructured time, and are less likely to intervene in institutional settings. These children learn to follow authority and entertain themselves, but they may struggle to navigate institutions where self-advocacy is expected.
Lareau concludes that these contrasting styles of family socialization contribute to the reproduction of social inequality. While each style may be effective within its own context, society tends to reward the behaviors instilled by concerted cultivation. Middle-class children gain advantages in school and beyond because they learn how to interact with and influence institutional systems from an early age. This leads to a cycle where social class is passed from one generation to the next—not just through economic means, but through the subtle transmission of behaviors, values, and expectations that align with institutional norms…..
