Annette Lareau: Invisible Inequality - Social Class and Childrearing

Vocabulary flashcards covering Annette Lareau's study 'Invisible Inequality: Social Class and Childrearing in Black Families and White Families,' contrasting the parenting styles of Concerted Cultivation and the Accomplishment of Natural Growth.

The Accomplishment of Natural Growth

The parenting style used by poor and working-class parents, centered on providing care and basic needs rather than intensive scheduling.

Concerted Cultivation

The parenting style practiced by middle-class parents, characterized by deliberate cultivation of talents through organized activities and intensive language use.

Natural Growth: Organization of Daily Life

Parents were more focused on feeding and taking care of their kids, and children were only signed up for a few activities.

Natural Growth: Language Use

Less language was used overall; directives were emphasized such that if kids were told what to do, they would do it.

Natural Growth: Interactions with Institutions

Parents were suspicious of institutions and maintained a wait relation because they trusted officials to take care of matters.

Concerted Cultivation: Organization of Daily Life

Children were most likely to be signed up for multiple organized activities.

Concerted Cultivation: Language Use

More words were used, conversations usually went back and forth, and parents read to the kids a lot more.

Concerted Cultivation: Interactions with Institutions

Parents were much more involved in schools and institutional settings.

Consequences for Middle-Class Children

As they grew older, middle-class children were sometimes overconfident and whiny.

Consequences for Poor Children

As they grew older, poor children did not know how to advocate for themselves.

Lareau's Research Method

An observational study method used to examine children and family dynamics.

Racial Differences in Childrearing Findings

The author found no differences between how white parents and black parents raised their kids compared to the major differences found across social classes.