Refl ect: Enrich:
42 Part 1 Decisions About Parenting
families can often work through the
challenge and restore stability to the family
systems. For other families, the challenges
may be too great, and the family system
fails. Then new family systems must be
formed and new adjustments made that may
take years. For example, some parent-child
relationships are forever damaged by divorce.
Factors That Impact
Parenting
As you have learned, families differ in
form, structure, and function. Just as each
family is unique in the way members interact
and meet each other’s needs, parents are
unique, too. However, most parents express
similar overall goals for parenting. They want
their children to
•
have happy and fulfilling lives
•
possess knowledge and skills that allow
effective functioning as adults
•
become people who function
independently but who can get along well
with others
Families and parents are unique in the
way they try to achieve these goals. Besides
children’s characteristics and development,
family life and parenting are mainly shaped
by many other factors. These include cultural
backgrounds, socioeconomic status, lifestyle,
the parents’ own family relationships as
children, community agencies and events, the
media, and technology influences.
Cultural Background
Parenting in various ethnic groups is
more alike than different. All parents form
relationships with their children and guide
children’s behaviors to conform to the
group’s standards. Families are influenced
significantly by their ethnic and cultural
backgrounds, however.
Some families strive to mirror their
cultural background. These families model
their values after those of their extended
family members. They may also mirror
the values of neighbors of similar cultural
background. More families, however, are
unique because parents absorb behaviors that
fit their own beliefs and discard other beliefs
and practices of their culture.
Culture is the framework for the lives
of all people. Because of this, culture has
profound effects on everyone. Some of these
effects may seem subtle, but others are more
obvious. For instance, it may be easier to
identify the influence of cultural holidays
and traditions than the influence of cultural
beliefs and values.
A group’s attitudes, beliefs, and values
affect how families in that group perform
their family functions. Cultures and ethnic
groups also vary in the ways family members
relate to one another. For example, in many
cultures, extended family relationships are
very important.
Parenting goals, roles, and styles differ
among cultural groups, 2-12. Cultural
learning begins in infancy. For example,
2-11 Changing jobs and adjusting to a new home
can stress everyone in the family unless parents
and children work together.