Question

Compare and contrast middle-class and working-class parenting styles. Discuss how these parenting styles socialize children for the U.S. economic system and labor market.

Answer 1

Answer- Parents of different social classes use different parenting styles. Annette Patricia Lareau is a sociologist who worked on different parenting styles of middle class, working class and poor class and explained all types of parenting in her book 'Unequal childhoods'. The difference between the parenting styles of middle-class and working-class can be described as follows-

Middle-Class parenting style- Middle class parents try to develop their children's skills by close supervision and different activities. Middle class parents generally provide an advantageous environment to their kids through concerted cultivation. Middle class families focus on cultivating their children's talents, developing their own opinions and reasoning with them. The children of these families are enrolled in various activities to improve their cognitive and social skills.

Working- Class parenting style- Working class families have different activities associated with their families. Laure described that working class families provide a lot of freedom to their kids to grow up. They don't have any organized schedule for their children. Working class parents believe that their children will naturally learn and give them independence and lot of time to play outside. Researchers have found that working class children are more happier and independent in comparison to middle-class children.

According to U.S. economy and labour market, difference in parenting styles creates social inequality. It is found that working class children get very few chances for social skills development. They are less talented than middle-class children for the job market. They have negative adaptations for the authority. Middle class children get more advantages in future. But at the same time, middle class kids experience increasing rates of depression, anxiety and substance abuse whereas working class kids know how to get motivated, they have lots of energy which help them to grow economically in the future.