Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life is a book written by sociologist Annette Lareau that explores the differences in the ways that children from different socio-economic backgrounds are raised and the impacts that these differences have on their development and future outcomes.
The book is based on Lareau's extensive fieldwork, during which she observed and interviewed families from various socio-economic backgrounds in order to understand the ways in which their experiences differed. Lareau found that children from middle and upper-class backgrounds were often raised in a way that emphasized "concerted cultivation," or the active and intentional cultivation of skills and abilities through a variety of activities and experiences. These children were often enrolled in structured extracurricular activities, such as music lessons or sports teams, and were encouraged to express themselves and take initiative in their academic and personal lives.
In contrast, children from working-class and poor families were often raised through a process of "natural growth," in which their experiences were more unstructured and focused on the practicalities of daily life. These children were less likely to be enrolled in extracurricular activities and were often expected to help out with household tasks and care for younger siblings.
Lareau argues that these differences in childrearing practices have significant impacts on the future opportunities and outcomes of these children. Children who are raised through concerted cultivation are better equipped to navigate the complex and competitive institutions of higher education and the workforce, while those who are raised through natural growth may struggle to adapt to these environments.
Overall, Unequal Childhoods highlights the ways in which socio-economic background can shape the experiences and opportunities of children and the long-term impacts that these differences can have. It serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of addressing and reducing inequality in order to create a more equitable and just society.
Unequal Childhood Chapter 1 Summary
She put herself in the after-school choir and mom supports this. For example, in middle-class homes, Lareau found that there was more talking than in working-class and poor homes, which leads middle-class children to have larger vocabularies and show more comfort when conversing with authority figures Lareau 5. However, Lareau 2003 In Chapter One of Unequal Childhoods, Lareau 2003 defines her terms. Concerted cultivation means that middle class parents take an active role in fostering activities and opportunities for their children. Instead, educators should take into account their own practices, as well as consider larger societal influences that are at work. She considers herself to be a woman highly capable of caring for all the children yet she still struggles to deal with the stress of everyday financial issues.
Given these points, the author seems in favor of laid-back parenting as being the most fit, when raising a child. This essay will look at 2 of those discourses, which directly compete with each other - the Romantic and Puritan, and suggest ways in which they impact children's lives. They appeared comfortable in these settings; they were open to sharing information and asking for attention. The commitment among working-class and poor families to provide comfort, food, shelter, and other basic support requires ongoing effort, given economic challenges and the formidable demands of child rearing. Lareau also found that children from both black and white middle class families develop emergent entitlement, which means they begin to see themselves as individuals with the right to pursue their own interests, while poor and working class children develop emergent constraint, or feeling less confident about their abilities or the right to pursue individual interests. Parents tend to use directives by telling their child what to do rather than persuading them with reasoning. Although most of the parents want the best from their kids but indeed they have to balance between their work and financial situation and tune it with their parenting style.
Sociology Study Guide For Unequal Childhoods Flashcards
Connections to Classroom Practice In Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life, Lareau explains that although working-class and poor parents are no less eager than middle-class parents to see their children succeed in school, they take a different approach to reaching this goal Lareau 198. Lareau closes her book with a thought-provoking chapter on the power and limits of social class. The author makes careful observations Essay on Unequal Childhood Chapter 1 Summary Chapter One Here the author talks about couple of kids who belong to different social class and race. Lareau found her earlier conclusions remained true: social class and parenting approaches significantly impacted educational and work outcomes. Families were living in newly built houses in the suburbs of a city.
When one parent is missing, more specifically the father, the effect has an everlasting feel to Children In The Progressive Era 1124 Words 5 Pages Throughout human history, children were thought of as servants, apprentices, or a means to ease workload. She is a strong independent black woman who broke Summary Of ' Tweens : Ten Going On Fourteen ' Simon fellow at the Manhattan Institute and the contributing editor of City Journal. Words: 3400 Length: 10 Pages Topic: Sociology Paper : 77289415 For example, in discussing his childhood in "Southie" a poor neighborhood in Boston, Patrick MacDonald talks about the willful ignorance of the people in the neighborhood when he was a child. Thus, there is a problem with how to apply the information contained in Unequal Childhoods. Can be said to have been "born on third base but believe they hit a triple" Formidable economic constraints make it a major life task for these parents to put food on the table, arrange for housing, negotiate unsafe neighborhoods, take children to the doctor often waiting for city buses that do not come , clean children's clothes, and get children to bed and have them ready for school the next morning.
Book Evaluation Unequal Childhoods Class Race Family life Annette Lareau
These are the people who make the things we use; they are the backbone of America. Your methodology was thorough and unique. Concerted cultivation refers specifically to parents making a concerted effort to advance the interests of their children, by means such as speaking to principals and teachers when students receive unexpectedly low grades; or by ensuring that their child makes it into several clubs, athletic groups, and other organized activities. Middle-class children also learned by imitation and by direct training how to make the rules work in their favor. As the scholar demonstrates, each race and social class usually has its own unique way of child upbringing based on circumstances.
Economic inequality made it very difficult for parents to give their children the same opportunities as their middle class counterparts. Hymowitz enjoys writing about American childhood and education. However, middle-class children have important institutional advantages because their experiences allow them to acquire skills that will be valuable when they enter the work world Lareau 4. These measures only measure one aspect of success but nonetheless these differences in income and levels of education do have real life implications. Even in fourth grade, middle-class children appeared to be acting on their own behalf to gain advantages.
In his autobiography, Black Boy, Richard Wright retells at several times how the poverty he was brought up in and the strict discipline and parenting he faced left him reluctant to challenge authority. Some examples of this might be that they are taught to trust authority and not question it or they are more likely to make their own fun like play with the kids around the neighborhood rather than be in organized activities set up by their parents. Here, allowing children to develop naturally, with little intervention, is common. Disadvantaged Children Hirsch Summary 172 Words 1 Pages Throughout the preface, Hirsch indicates how passionate and devoted he is by writing about Cultural Literacy and wanting to have reform. Class does make a difference in the lives and futures of American children.
Did you have access to a good school? Lareau observed that working class and poor families spent more time together, largely because they lived in smaller spaces. What is interesting about Lareau's work is that she shows that concerted cultivation is not just about aggressive and proactive parenting. The case was eventually sent to the Supreme court Roe v. The adults opinion on children over time changed from loving their children to killing them changed a lot 02. Most educators wish that poor and working-class parents would be more assertive Lareau 198. In particular, he goes into two touching stories, one that shows the changes in the communities we live in and another that illustrates the change of family structure.
