Question 1
How do poverty and oppression affect beliefs about parenting? Comment on how these factors influence parents' beliefs at two different age levels.Question 2
Write an essay about diversity in parent-child interactions across cultures. In your answer, describe the variety of ways that parents communicate with, soothe, teach, and carry and hold their children. Give examples from at least 3 different cultural groups.Answer 1
Suggested Responses: Students should include in their answers the following points: Poverty and oppression produce a protective/survival response from parents that can result in more emphasis on obedience, toughening up, and/or enmeshment within a family or social system that can provide protection. Parents focus more on physical needs than emotional or cognitive needs - a hierarchy of concerns that determines appropriate practices. Infants may be carried more often, quieted quickly, and, either taught self-sufficiency early or encouraged to attach more securely. Preschoolers may be taught physical self-defense and retaliation or compliance and conformity as defensive mechanisms if in an oppressive situation. If poor, preschoolers may take on child care and household duties as they are expected to be more responsible and obedient to parents. Primary age children, if poor, may experience high achievement expectations and those in an oppressive situation may be especially likely to have racial pride emphasized by family members.Answer 2
Suggested Responses: Students should describe the variety of communication styles across cultures, including highly verbal and non-verbal, and physical. They should also discuss the variation in frequency and method of soothing crying children, including rapid responses and wait-and-see approaches. Cultural perspectives on whose responsibility it is to teach children - parents or teachers - should be explored. Finally, diversity in carrying and holding practices - from continual holding in a sling to the use of a cradleboard should be described. Examples from at least three different cultures should be given throughout the essay.