Essay on Mid-Term

1. Please identify three (3) different definitions of the concept “parenting” and discuss the similarities and differences in how each author defines the term.

Parenting is a complex concepts and different researchers have different views on the essence of parenting. For instance, some researchers (Allen& Marotz, 2003) define parenting as rearing of a child or children, especially the care love and guidance given by parents. This definition of parenting implies that parents focus on the provision of children with care, love and guidance. Therefore, this definition of parenting tends to the emotional support and guidance being provided by parents for their children.

Other researchers (Fierstein, 2011) argue that parenting is the process of raising and educating of child from birth, or before, till adulthood. Unlike the previous definition of parenting, this definition of parenting stresses the role of parents as educators. Therefore, they should not only take care of their children but also educate them that means that parents should provide their children with a set of knowledge and skills which may be useful for children in their life. This definition of parenting expands the previous one and makes parents responsible not only for care giving but also for education of children.

Moreover, some researchers ( Slater, 2003) point out that parenting as the act or process of becoming a parent and taking care of someone in the manner of parent. In fact, this definition of parenting, adds the act or process of becoming a parent as an important part of parenting which two previous definitions of parenting ignored completely. Obviously, parenting is not just the care or education of children but also the process of becoming of parents because, normally, it is during this process individuals come prepared to become parents to raise up their children.

2. Please explain in detail how the family and parenting can be viewed from a systems perspective. Please be sure to address all the components of Family Systems Theory and give examples where each of these components can be illustrated.

The family is an important unit of the society which affects consistently the life of individuals. In fact, people can hardly live in the complete isolation from their family. At any rate, the Family Systems Theory holds the premise that the family is the system of interconnected and interdependent individuals. In terms of the Family Systems Theory, individuals are viewed as being an integral part of the family, outside of which they cannot be understood. Therefore, individuals should be viewed in the context of the family to be understood. The family is an emotional unit that keeps its members together and stimulates their close interaction. In such a context, parenting is an important part of the family life. Parents interact closely with each other and they give birth to their children, who become a part of their family that grows larger as children are born. Nevertheless, the birth of children does not break the unity of parents, even though children attract their attention, which parents used to pay to each other. Instead, children become new family members who interact with their parents and are interdependent with them. Parents give their care and attention to raise up and educate their children, while children give back their love and respect to parents. In the course of their personal development children develop close emotional links with their parents, while parents have close emotional links with each other and their children. Therefore, parenting is an essential element of the family life which helps parents to interact effectively with their children, while problems within families may occur, when fail to perform their functions properly and when their interaction with children becomes ineffective. Nevertheless, neither parents nor children can be viewed in isolation. Instead, they should be viewed as a whole family to understand their problems and specificities of each family member.

3. Using Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory, please explain thoroughly at which stage might children experience issues of self-discovery and individual awareness? Additionally, please address how parents could be better informed about this particular stage and the impending crisis.

The self-discovery and individual awareness begins, when a child approaches the adolescence. After the age of twelve-thirteen, children start raising questions, such as ‘who am I?’ or ‘what am I?’ and they look for self-discovery as their individual awareness grows. In fact, this stage is very important for children because they learn their own self. At any rate, they attempt to shape of themselves. However, as a rule, the self-esteem of adolescence is low and they rely heavily on their peers and the opinion of their peers is very important for them. Moreover, at this stage, the opinion of peers becomes even more important than the opinion of their parents. Hence, parents should come prepared to this stage of self-discovery and individual awareness of their children, since parents start losing their position as the primary authority for their children. Children do not always want to be like their parents and they often stop following their parents lead. Instead, they attempt to complete their self-discovery and establish relationships of their own, which are normally relationships with their peers. Therefore, parents should pay attention to their children’s needs and changes that occur in their children. At this stage, parents should not be too oppressive. Otherwise, they will provoke the faster alienation of their children, who may believe their parents are pushing on them too hard. The parental control should decrease, while relationships between parents and children should become rather friendly than purely familial. In such a way, parents should serve as guides for their children on their way to self-discovery and awareness. Parents can identify the beginning of this stage, when they notice their children have started to pay more attention to their appearance, to the opinion of peers, when they have started to spend more time with their friends. Possibly ask questions that relate to their efforts to understand themselves but, as a rule, children tend to avoid the close communication with their parents and attempt to complete the self-discovery on their own or with the help of peers.

4. Please define culture and explain at least three (3) ways in which culture impacts parenting. Be sure to give clear examples to support all of your responses.

Culture is a set of moral and social norms and values which are relevant within certain community and society and which determine values and personal views of individuals as well as their behavior and relations with other people. Different societies or social groups have different cultures. For instance, two different ethnic groups within one and the same society may have different cultures. At the same time, people cannot ignore the impact of their cultural environment on their personal philosophy, views, values and behavior as well as relationships with other people, including their family members. In this regard, parents are also vulnerable to the impact of their cultural background. Consequently, culture influences the relationship of parents with their children and their behavior. In fact, culture can influence parents and their parenting style in different ways. For instance, parents of Japanese origin are likely to pay little attention to upbringing their children until the age of five, which is considered to be the age, when parents should start educating and raising up their children strictly.  In Japanese culture, children are considered to be unaware of their actions and their effects until the age of five. Therefore, Japanese traditions imply that the active interference of parents in the development of children until the age of five is unnecessary. In the western society, parents provide their children with larger freedom and let them make personal choices of making friends, for instance. In such a way, parents provide their children with larger autonomy under the impact of western culture. In contrast, some Eastern cultures, such as Indian, for instance, maintain the strict subordination of children to their parents to the extent that parents can force their children to the arranged marriage, which may be arrange, which children are at the very early age.

5. Using the parenting styles discussed in class, please view the Potter Family video from Supernanny again and illustrate clearly and explicitly how each parent’s parenting style would be categorized and why? Please use appropriate examples to support your responses.

Parenting style may differ consistently but parents should strive to make their parenting style effective. They have to maintain effective communication with their children to be able to understand them and to explain their views and ideas to children. In this regard, the Potter family depicts parents with two different parenting styles. On the one hand, there is the father using rather authoritarian parenting style, who tries to set rules and force children to obey them. On the other hand, there is the mother, who attempts to maintain a democratic, liberal parenting style. She wants to play a part of a friend for her children. She demonstrates her confidence in her children and she believes she should not push on her children as the father tends to do frequently. For instance, the father tends to order commands to children, which he expects them to perform immediately. In contrast, the mother tends to negotiate with children to reach the desired ends.