George Reese
Journalism Class
Literature Review
12/10/2014
What
Does the Literature Say About Parenting Affecting Children?
Ever since Noam Chomsky proposed that
nature and nurture both had key roles in child development, child nurturing and
parenting has become exponentially more important. In today’s society, parents
shelter, coddle, and spoil their children into entitlement that they will not
always receive. This sheltering, or “Helicopter Parenting”, has caused anxiety
and stress to run rampant when real pressure or responsibility shows up. The
way a child is cared for, socially, economically, and physically has a direct
correlation to the mental and physical health; as well as affecting their
attitude and work ethics.
One of the most important factors in a
child’s development is the socioeconomic status of their parents or legal
guardians. It’s no secret that parenting methods differ depending on social
class. “Poverty and economic loss diminish the capacity for supportive,
consistent, and involved parenting and render parents more vulnerable to the
debilitating effects of negative life events” (McLoyd "The Impact of
Economic Hardship on Black Families and Children: Psychological Distress, Parenting,
and Emotional Development.") Along with the stress associated with
poverty, the stress deriving from health issues, family issues and everyday
life lead to lapses in parental judgment and lack of time for parenting. “The
developmental outcomes parents expect and desire for their children and the
roles parents see for themselves in achieving those outcomes vary…” (Hoff
231-252) meaning that each parent has his or her own plan what role they will
fill as a parent and what their child will do in the future. Parents who have
better goals set for their children may positively influence their children
into doing better in life. Economic
status influences the parenting style, likelihood of completing high school,
and the stability of the household the children are involved in.
On top of the psychological effects of
living in poverty, the physical effects devastate children and parents of
impoverished families. The cost of living and maintaining a healthy life style
are far more expensive than its processed competition. In a low income area,
with a limited amount of money, a parent can acquire unhealthy processed food
in abundance, they can spend the minimal amount of money for the maximum amount
of food. This trend of spending as little money as possible on nutrition,
greatly affects the development of young children. This unhealthy diet can lead
to mood swings, depression, trouble sleeping, diabetes and even obesity. Also
these unhealthy eating habits and malnutrition can create a pattern that is
very hard to break later in life.
Another issue with parent’s economic
status is the effects brought on by it later in life. Students from low income
backgrounds will face more stress than their economically advantaged
counterparts because they have to deal with the stress of forgone wages and the
costs of borrowing (Luthar, "The culture of affluence: Psychological costs
of material wealth."). These students, balancing school, work, and
financial responsibilities, often crumble under the pressure and leave school,
putting them in the same position with no continuing education to better
themselves with. This continuation of poverty is disallowing young people from
bettering themselves and living their dreams.
Along with economic status, the condition
of the family the child is in greatly affects the future success and attitude
of the child. For example, a family with strong parental figures and a regular
set schedule are more likely to be able to respect authority, listen to and
complete instructions, and function in a timely manner respecting deadlines and
other organizational matters (Astone, McLanahan). “One reason children from
single-parent families are less likely to finish high school is the precarious
economic position of their families. Mother-only families are more likely than
any families to be poor.” (Astone, McLanahan), this shows that there is a
direct link between divorce and economic hardship; meaning that not only is a
divorce psychological affecting children it may also be affecting them
economically therefore setting back their development even further. “Divorce, a
major cause of single parent families, impoverishes the household of the
divorced wife (Weitzman, 1981)” (Dornbusch, 326-341). In most cases, these
unstable families have little to no economic stability, and when the families
split they increase they financial strains on themselves. Although separately
they both affect families greatly, poverty and family instability together can
crush a families dreams of existing further.
Another factor that influences children,
as they develop, is the values and morals instilled in a child by their parents
or guardians. Children mirror the behavior of their parents and subconsciously
want to be more like them. When this influence is a positive one, the child
receives morals, beliefs, and a determination to better themselves. When the
influence is bad it can lead the child into, drugs, alcohol, or other harmful
substances or scenarios. Arguably, parenting is the most important factor in
how a child turns out. If a person’s childhood is traumatic, or full of stress
it can lead to mental problems, physical conditions, or even a distrust of
authority.
Along with developing who they are as a
person through their childhood, people also define who they are as a person,
and eventually parent themselves. “Parenting includes generic endowment and
direct effects of experience that manifest in parent’s beliefs and behaviors; parenting’s
indirect influences take place through parent’s relationships with each other
and their connection to community networks…” (Bornstein, Socioneconomic status,
Parenting, and Child Development). This definition of parenting acknowledges
the influence that a parent has on their child’s development, directly and
indirectly. This shows that the interaction a parent has with their child is
crucial to key developmental stages, for example a child who grows up with two
stable parental figures who encourage and care for the child will learn to love
and care for others. Adversely, if a child grows up in a broken home with
little to no guidance, they are more likely to have marital problems as well as
child care issues in their own life.
Parenting, is arguably the most important
influence on a child’s life through its development. How the parental figures
interact, and influence their children directly affects their personality and
morals later on. Along with the morals and parenting styles used, a child is
influenced by their family’s economic status, and the stability of their home.
Children from poverty stricken or one parent households have a harder time
overcoming obstacles and prospering later on in life economically, and
mentally. Parent’s use the same methods of parenting that were used on them, in
some cases this can be good, but in others it creates a vicious cycle of abuse
that continues for generations.
Although it proves contrary to what the
literature says, there are instances where the environmental, and parental
factors did not influence the outcome of the child. For example: a child from
poverty who was abused who grew up to be a successful businessman, or a rich
kid who grew up with everything who ends up with nothing because of their own
laziness. Parenting influences children, but it doesn’t overwhelm strong
characteristics like determination or lack thereof it.
Overall, parenting is definitely the most
important, and influential part of a person’s childhood. Along with the parenting
style implemented by the guardians, the parent’s socioeconomic status, and the
stability of the family greatly influences the child as well. Children from
poor socioeconomic status with an unstable family life, tend to attain less
education, and be less successful in their careers. On the contrary a child
from a high socioeconomic status who has a stable family life is far more
likely to be educated, and far more likely to be a successful person late in
life. Although the outcome of each person is determined by their own actions,
and decisions, parenting and the socioeconomic status of the families greatly
affect the outcome of the child.
Works
Cited:
1. Astone,
Nan Marie, and Sara S. McLanahan. "Family structure, parental practices
and high school completion." American sociological review (1991): 309-320.
2. Bornstein,
Marc H., and Robert H. Bradley, eds. Socioeconomic status, parenting, and child
development. Routledge, 2014.
3. Dornbusch,
Sanford M., et al. "Single parents, extended households, and the control
of adolescents." Child development (1985): 326-341.
4. Luthar,
Suniya S. "The culture of affluence: Psychological costs of material
wealth." Child development 74.6 (2003): 1581-1593.
5. Hoff,
Erika, Brett Laursen, and Twila Tardif. "Socioeconomic status and
parenting." Handbook of Parenting Volume 2: Biology and Ecology of
Parenting (2002): 231-52.
6. Maccoby,
Eleanor E. "Parenting and its effects on children: On reading and
misreading behavior genetics." The Science of Mental Health: Personality
and personality disorder 51 (2001): 201.
7. McLoyd,
Vonnie C. "The impact of economic hardship on black families and children:
Psychological distress, parenting, and emotional development." Child
development 61.2 (1990): 311-346.
8. Okagaki,
Lynn, and Peter A. Frensch. "Parenting and children’s school achievement:
A multiethnic perspective." American Educational Research Journal 35.1
(1998): 123-144.
Gap Identification
Methodology
Research methods
Conclusion Discussion
