The family as a developmental context - parenting

The family as a developmental context: parenting

 Defining families to reflect diversity of structure
 Family is central to microsystem
 Family as a context
o Primary social setting
o Origin of disorder lies in problematic relationships
 Disorganized or conflicted family relationships
o Family type vs family process
 Family process and child development
o Processes within family that affect child development
o Processes within child that explain family effects
 Functions of parenting
o Nurture childrens development
o Promote childrens health and wellbeing
o Protect children
o Instil sense of personal responsibility for own and family future
 Typology of parenting
o Diana Baumrind (1973)
 Parenting tradition
 Differences in rules applied and enforced
 Enforcement determines difference in development and achievement
 Emphasis on overarching parenting style, not parenting behaviours
 ‘parenting styles’ – behaviours and attitudes that set emotional climate of
interactions
o Maccoby and Martin (1983)
 Extension of Baumrind’s work
 Converge on 2 dimensions:
 Emotional responsiveness
o Emotional orientation – warm and responsive -> cold,
rejecting and hostile
 Control/demandingness
o Appropriate rule and boundary setting -> authoritarian
power assertion -> indifference and neglect
o 4 main parenting styles:
 Authoritative
 Demanding, but warm and responsive
 Clear standards
 Children develop autonomy
 Attentive to needs and concerns
 Measured and consistent in discipline
 Children tend to be competent, independent, self-assured, popular,
low antisocial behaviour and drug use
 Authoritarian
 Cold and unresponsive
 Controlling and demanding
 Children should comply without asking questions or explanation