Parenting in Poverty

Abstract

Middle-class child-centred behaviour, as defined by J. and E. Newson, is not operable in the milieu of poverty. The findings of research recently completed at the University of Birmingham show that material shortages in the home and poor environmental conditions severely affect parental child-rearing methods. An attempt is made to design an alternative model of child-centredncss applicable to the milieu of poverty, and a group of families is identified who share a relatively happy home atmosphere and who enjoy participating in their children's activities. This type of family, however, is not delinquency-preventing. Effective methods of delinquency-prevention in the slum are not related to family cohesiveness. Parents who use strict methods of supervision appear to be successful, although their aims may not be prevention of delinquency, but of accidents, and of association with undesirable neighbours and strangers. Chaperonage in the slum is undertaken at great cost to parents and children. The debate concerned with preparation for parenthood or education of parents should acknowledge the realities of life in the slum which forces parents to adopt methods of child-rearing they do not approve of. A more appropriate population for education in parenthood would be a socially upwardly mobile one. Parents and children in the slums need vast fiscal resources to improve their conditions before an attempt is made to change their attitudes

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