ABSTRACT

This chapter is concerned with how culture is involved in parenting. It discusses some theoretical and methodological issues in the study of culture and parenting. The chapter reviews research on parental socialization goals and attitudes in cultural contexts. It also discusses how cultural values affect the main aspects or dimensions of parenting, followed by a section on cultural involvement in determining the developmental significance of parenting in terms of its relations with developmental outcomes. The chapter describes the implications of social and cultural changes for parenting. It deals with the future directions in the study of culture and parenting. There are a number of theoretical and methodological issues in the study of culture and parenting. The parenting attitudes of African American parents and corresponding strategies they use may serve to prepare their children to function in social settings in which others might treat them harshly. A number of cross-cultural studies have been conducted concerning specific parenting styles and behaviors.