Effects of Parenting Styles and Culture on Children

Abstract

Parenting styles and culture in which a child grows up play an important role in his physical and emotional development. May it be early years or later stages of life, parenting style has lasting effects on a child's personality and relationships that he has with different people. Parents tend to ignore some important and basic rules. Such rules are important to inculcate distinct values in children and make them a successful human being in their personal and professional life. Parents want the child to be successful and forget basic ingredients and practice that they need to undertake. The purpose of this paper is to highlight parenting styles in general and in different cultures. Additionally, we will analyze how it affects child in both early and later stages in life and how parents can adopt the appropriate parenting style, suitable to their culture and country.

Table of Contents

Abstract2

Effect of Parenting Styles and Culture on Children4

Introduction4

Discussion4

Dimensions to Parenting4

Parenting styles in general6

Parenting Styles in Different Cultures8

Affects of Parenting Styles in young age and later9

Conclusion10

References12

Effect of Parenting Styles and Culture on Children

Introduction

A newborn child is like a blank paper, whatever you write on it or whatever he sees and learns in his youth will reflect in his personality. How a child interacts with his surrounding and environment in the future is greatly dependent upon the parenting style. Darling and Steinberg define parenting style as “a constellation of attitudes toward the child that are communicated to the child and create an emotional climate in which the parent's behaviors are expressed” (Paul et.al, 2009, p.280). Parenting style is the primary factor in devising child's personality and attitude towards his environment. It is very important that parents create productive and caring atmosphere for a child. This will support his overall personality and behavior. Cultural background, religion, environment are secondary factors that are equally important in affecting child in the long run.

Many parents face cultural and religious limitations and forced to follow or undertake certain parenting style that is common to their culture and country. Today, such views are changing, and parents are more willing and open minded towards their child's brought up. They want to give him the best, may it be values, education or environment. Socioeconomic factor does have an effect on a child's personality, but parenting style is the main driving force behind any child's attitude and behavior.

Discussion

Dimensions to Parenting

Different views and opinions exist in different countries, on which parenting style is best for building distinct personalities. People belonging to different countries have their own beliefs and preferences that again depend upon their cultural background. To remove confusion about which parenting style is the best, psychologist Diana Baumrind believes that parenting styles consist of following key dimensions (Janette, 2009).

Disciplinary strategies

Disciplinary strategies entail different types of disciplinary methods and rules. Parents follow this strategy to make children obey instructions in their daily routine. It can be related to their daily task like eating and sleeping habits ...