Summary
Many studies aim to examine the living conditions of families with different social and racial backgrounds. Although some people could think that racial inequality could be a reason for choosing different childrearing methods, the author of the article about invisible inequality, Annette Lareau, believes that sociological images should not be ignored. She divides families into middle-class, working-class, and poor and explains what kind of treatment children get there. The article shows that parents from black and white families share a different understanding of their roles and the nature of childhood in general (Lareau 748). Three phases of observation were taken to gather the material: from two third-grade classrooms, two schools in a metropolitan area and one school in a suburban area, and 12 family observations (Lareau 749-750). The importance of concerted cultivation (cultural logic of childrearing) and natural growth are recognized. However, the representatives of families from different classes demonstrate different attitudes towards their organization of daily life, the use of language, and social interactions. Social inequality but not racial differences affect the range of activities in which children may be involved and their future lives.
Reflection
The application of the ideas offered in the article is critical for middle-class and working-class families. Middle-class parents are more interested in concerted cultivation and try to develop their children’s talents through activities and communication compared to working-class and poor parents, who choose natural growth and leave choices to their children. Middle-class children gain certain benefits when their parents prefer reasoning over directives. As a result, concerted cultivation allows children to use their language skills and abilities to make life-long decisions and learn what is good and wrong for them. Being fostered under the principle of natural growth, children from working-class and poor families use love, food, and safety as the means to thrive. This knowledge and the offered ideas help comprehend the differences in families from various social classes. The study shows that race remains less important than class in selecting childrearing strategies. Parental involvement and support may be determined by some financial aspects, not racial inequality. Children pay less attention to the color of their skin but think about the social statuses of their families and develop their behaviors, relying on their experiences and parents’ knowledge.
Opinion
In my opinion, the value of the ideas offered by Lareau is great and has to be recognized at different levels. First, the author wants to understand why children from the same communities may demonstrate different knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes. I have never believed that racial inequality only is an explanation of why parent-child relationships vary. Social inequality has stayed invisible for a long time because people do not find it necessary to find solutions to this problem. Therefore, Lareau’s attempt to show that black and white families are challenged by social class inequality attracts my attention. Secondly, I find the approach to use concerted cultivation and natural growth ideas effective for modern childrearing. Parents share specific opinions about how to behave, what language to use, and how to establish social interactions. This article is a solid explanation of all these differences. It illustrates how children are treated in their families through three dimensions, namely daily life organization, language use, and social connection. Parents have to accept their roles, assess child’s talents, and contribute to a proper application of skills in life.
Work Cited
Lareau, Annette. “Invisible Inequality: Social Class and Childrearing in Black Families and White Families.” American Sociological Review, vol. 67, no. 5, 2002, pp. 747-776.