HDFS 312 10/6/15Chapter 9: Raising children in a diverse society The transition to parenthood- Challenges o Cultural pressures to become parentso Most first time parents have little to no experience or no prior experience with child careo Abrupt change to schedule and lack of sleepo Declines in emotional and sexual relationship - Many fathers are more involved with parenting than in the past. This results in increases in marital satisfaction and parents’ confidence Stress model of effective parenting - Parental stress, depression, and marital/family conflict undermine positive parenting practices- Environmental factors also create difficulty, e.g., work demands, media and other socialization agents competing for their children’s attention. - Social support and empowerment for parents can buffer parents and children from poor outcomes Single mothers - Single mothers by choice: women tend to be in their 30’s/40’s, middle or upper-middle class, European Americans, and highly educated- Single mothers my circumstance: report feeling stigmatized, but evident resilience as they construct support networks What is a “parenting style”?- A general manner of relating to and disciplining children, encompassing two dimensions-warmthand expectations:o Authoritarian Low in warmth and high in monitoringo Permissive Low parental monitoring  High warmth Indulgent vs neglected o Authoritative  High parental monitoring High warmth Balanced Which parenting style is “best”?- Generally authoritative seen as optimal - However, some scholars have criticized emphasis on authoritative parenting as Eurocentric o Certain parenting styles may be more fitting according to social or cultural contextSocial class and parenting- Socioeconomic status (SES): one’s position in society, measured by educational achievement, occupations, and /or income- Family education and income have more influence on parenting behaviors and children’s outcomes than do race/ethnicity or family structure The “Hurried” Child- Children in middle- or upper- income families are more likely to be overscheduled - Forces children to assume too many responsibilities too soon, and may suffer stress from pressure to achieve- How might this pressure affect their development?o Growing up too fast o Reduction of attention span o Fewer opportunities for creativity Parenting in a diverse culture- With growing diversity, we may experience overall reductions in some forms of prejudice - However, it is also clear that racism is still alive and well, even if subtle - How do/should parents handle children’s experience of racism and prejudice? Socialization of Racial Identity - Parents are more likely to socialize their children about their racial/ethnic identity if:o They have high pride in their race/ethnicityo They have experienced race-related stresso They are concerned their children will encounter racism- Socialization of racial identity is an important protective factoro Predicts youths academic Raising children in poverty - Drastically impacts parents Foster parenting- 500,000 children are in foster careo Not enough foster parents or facilities to fulfill the needs of children in this system- Average age of a child in foster care = 8 yrs.o Tend to stay in foster care for about 2 years- Goal is usually to reunite children with their parents or caretakers, but ¼ of these children are available for