Family and Parenting Styles

Family Relationship

earliest social contact, often the most intense social bonds, extensive shared experiences, continuity over time makes this relationship different from others

Family subsystems

Parent and child, between parents, siblings, whole family operation impacts basic child rearing functions

Functions of Family

Survival of offspring, economic function, cultural training

Socialization

the lifelong social experience by which people develop their human potential and learn culture

parenting styles

Parenting styles are the behaviors and attitudes that set the emotional climate of parent-child interactions

Authoritative parenting

parenting style characterized by emotional warmth, high standards for behavior, explanation and consistent enforcement of rules, and inclusion of children in decision making

authoritarian parenting

style of parenting in which parent is rigid and overly strict, showing little warmth to the child

permissive parenting

A parenting style characterized by the placement of few limits on the child's behavior.

neglectful parenting

a parenting style characterized by a lack of parental involvement in the child's life

Cultural impacts on parenting

Western culture bias towards authoritarian but eastern cultures lean towards authoritative
Effects of different parenting styles vary somewhat to ethnic or racial groups

Protection Domain

when child is upset child should be kept safe to form secure attachment

Reciprocity Domain

parent/child operate temp as equals, leads to pos exchanges, lets child influence when appropriate

Control Domain

conflicting goals, appropriate correct behavior, learns self-control

Group Participation Domain

w/family or cultural group, dev sense of social identity

Guided Learning Domain

parent teaches child, ZPD, develops sophisticated ways of thinking

Bidirectional Parent-Child Interactions

Both influence each others emotions positive and negative

Factors Affecting Parenting Style

SES - reflects environmental differences
Economic stress is a negative predictor of quality of parenting
Homelessness can cause poor health, dev delays, cog and soc delays, academic difficulties, and internalized problems

Older Parents

Greater age is related to greater satisfaction and higher parenting knowledge
More flexibility and freedom in balancing demands of work and family

Teen Parents

Associated with negative consequences for both mother and child
Decline in school achievement of young mom
Personal, economic and social problems

Parental relationships impact

More mutually supportive parents is positive for parenting
Lots of conflict has negative effects

Divorce Impact

Often leads to a greater risk of long and short-term psychological, behavior, academic, and relationship problems
Most children turnout fine
Ongoing marital conflict instead of divorce some argue causes even more negative effects

Sibling Relationship Impacts

Family position can affect sibling family interactions
Relationships change with age
Often a very significant relationship