Mother as the primary care giver Flashcards
What points can be made?
Feeding
Freud’s views on the importance of the mother
Deprivation damage
Mothers, not fathers
Why does feeding mean that the mother should be primary care giver?
NHS reccomends breast feeding until 6 months as it helps protect against illness and build bonds between mother and baby
Baby should be fed every 2 hours so it makes sense for the mother to be the primary care giver
How long should babies be breastfed for according to the NHS?
6 months
Why does feeding mean that the mother doesn’t have to be primary care giver?
Food doesn’t equal love
Harlow: Monkeys spent most time on the cloth ‘mother’ as they gave the most physical comfort
Schaffer and Emerson: Attatchments made to those that respond best to signals
Which psychologists gave evidence to support the idea that feeding means that the mother doesn’t have to be the primary care giver?
Harlow
Schaffer and Emerson
How did Harlow come to the conclusion that feeding means that the mother doesn’t have to be the primary care giver?
Put baby monkeys with 2 mothers, one was cloth and one was wire. The wire one had milk
Monkeys spent most time on the cloth ‘mother’ as they gave the most physical comfort showing that food doesn’t equal love
How did Schaffer and Emerson show that feeding means that the mother doesn’t have to be the primary care giver?
They found that the baby makes the best attatchments to those that respond the best to their signals so breastfeeding may not be what makes the bond
Why does Freud’s view mean that the mother should be primary care giver?
Important in the oral stage where issues can lead to problems in later life
The relationship with the mother acts as the blueprint for all other relationships
Why does Freud’s views mean that the mother doesn’t have to be primary care giver?
His views may have just reflected society at the time where women’s place was in the home and they couldn’t vote. He recognised the importance of the father in the oedipus complex
Why does deprivation damage mean that the mother doesn’t have to be primary care giver?
Bowlby said a mothering infuence was important, not exclusively the mother. Some children are unaffected by early seperation as they were more attatched to their mothers in the first place so more resilient
Who looked into deprivation damage?
Bowlby
Why does deprivation damage mean that the mother should be primary care giver?
Prolonged seperation can lead to an affectionless character so Bowlby thought the mother was vital for mental health
Why should the mothers be the primary care giver and not the fathers?
Women are better equipped as they have higher levels of oestragen which makes them better at emotional relationships. Gender stereotypes mean women face less stigma
Why doesn’t it have to be the mothers specifically that are primary care givers?
Changing stereotypes mean men are more free to be a primary care giver
They drop in levels of testoesterone to make them more sensative to the child’s needs.
