Chapter 4: The Ecology Of Parenting

Question 1

Parenting

Answer 1

The implementation of a series of decisions about the socialization of children

Question 2

Macro system Influences on Parenting

Answer 2

Politics: Children must be raised to function as citizens in society.

Socioeconomics: Parents of high socioeconomic status have high incomes, engage in highly respected jobs and are well educated; Parents of low socioeconomic status have low incomes, hold unskilled or semiskilled jobs and are poorly educated; Parents of middle socioeconomic status have medium incomes

Culture: Traditional beliefs and practices that have been developed as adaptive survival strategies and passed from generation to generation are powerful and pervasive even in modern times.

Religion: Most religious delegate the teaching of their codes of conduct to parents

Question 2

Ecosystem Influences on Parenting

Answer 2

Parental occupation when one performs a role, one takes on the behavioral expectations of that role through the process of socialization

Question 3

Effect of Children’s Characteristics

Answer 3

1. Age/Cognition: As the child gets older and more mature and physically and cognitively, parent-child interactions change
2. Temperament: Influences one’s interactions with others how infants respond to their caregivers respond to children-illustrating the concept of bidirectionally
3. Goodness-of-fit: Infant temperament determines what kinds of interactions parents and infants are most likely to find mutually rewarding
4. Gender: Parents provide different socializing environments for boys and girls most likely because of their own socialization
5. Presence of Disability: Influences family dynamics and parenting styles

Question 4

Family Characteristics:

Answer 4

Size
Configuration 
Parents Life Stage
Marital Status
Parent Ability to Cope with Stress

Question 5

Parenting Styles

Answer 5

Authoritarian: A parent centered style of parenting by unquestioning obedience to authority.

Authoritative: A democratic parenting style and which is based on competence or expertise

Permissive: A child-centered style of parenting characterized by a lack of directives or authority

Pro social Behavior: Involves behavior that benefits other people such as altruism, sharing, and cooperation

Uninvolved: An insensitive indifferent parenting style with few demands or rules.

Influences on Prosocial Behavior: Parenting styles affects children’s behavior.

Question 6

Appropriate Parenting

Answer 6

Knowledge of child development; what a child is capable of physically emotionally cognitively and socially- as well as preventive and corrective methods for misbehavior.

Inappropriate behavior:
Demonstrate expectations that are impossible for the child
Ignore the child’s needs
Do not provide basic care