Modern Parenthood as a Subject of Research

Abstract

We discuss the current socio-cultural situation surrounding parenthood on the basis of an extensive literature review. A distinction is drawn between the constructs of “parenthood” as a social role and “parenting” as a process of raising children. We describe the main social trends: Modern parenthood is analyzed and problematized in connection with the specific features of the modern challenges faced by young educated parents. These trends include the following: the disappearance of understandable models of how to raise children in a family that were taught to parents when they were themselves children, the explosion in the number of ways in which a family can be raised, and a growing number of parenting products and services. All of these factors are symptoms of the decline of “natural” parenting and its replacement by a set of consciously planned strategies. The article shows that as educated members of the population refer to expert knowledge to guide them as parents, it gives rise to a new level of uncertainty due to the fact that the recommendations that are given are inconsistent with each other. A discussion of the transformations in family and upbringing practices shows that they have evolved from a child-centric model to an adult-centric one. Thus, we provide supporting evidence for the conclusion that modern parents raise children against the backdrop of many (perceived and unconscious) contradictions, including, in particular, the one between the growing importance placed on career and life success and the continuing value placed on parenthood, which cannot but affect the parent’s experiences. The growing interest in the study of parental identity and self-efficacy represents a promising research area.

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