Hi all! This week we’re discussing the following readings:
- Annette Lareau.. 2002. “Invisible Inequality: Social Class and Childrearing in Black Families and White Families.” American Sociological Review 67:747-76.
- Calarco, Jessica McCrory. 2014 “Coached for the Classroom: Parents’ Cultural Transmission and Children’s Reproduction of Educational Inequalities.” American Sociological Review 79(5): 1015–37.
Carefully go over my PowerPoint presentation with voiceover where I explain important ideas and concepts covered in the readings. (To listen to the voiceover you need to go to presentation mode)
Watch the short video below where Lareau herself summarizes her research and here she also mentions what happened to the 12 kids she observed a decade later. Where did they end up? Let’s see…
Lecture Posts Questions:
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- From my PowerPoint presentation, what still isn’t very clear? Any questions, thoughts or comments you would like to share?
- From the readings are all concepts and ideas clear?
- Summarize the main takeaways from the video.
- Answer the question I asked in the PowerPoint presentation: “If the poor and working-class families’ resources were transformed overnight so that they equaled those of the middle-class families, would their cultural logic of childrearing shift as well? Or, do you think, are there cultural attitudes and beliefs that are substantially independent of economic and social resources that are influencing parents’ practices here?”
- Think of the situation that we are currently living, where abruptly billions of children and teenagers are being homeschooled. How do you think social economic inequalities will play into this? How will different childrearing practices impact the experiences of these children during these unusual times? Do you think these will have long-lasting consequences?
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1. From the powerpoint presentation, everything is clear and easy to understand. Social classes play a major role in child development and a lot of this clicked in my head as I was reading through the powerpoint. When I read the differences between concerted cultivation and accomplishments of natural growth many of the ideas resonated with me. I understood a little better about how and why my parents raised me the way they would. My family immigrated to America before I was even born, but they came here with nothing since they were poor and this powerpoint aided my understanding. The tables in the powerpoint were especially helpful, it showed the traits both parenting styles include. The main objective of Lareau was to show that social classes do in fact create distinctive parenting styles. However, there were problems with the study due to limitations. The findings can not be generalized beyond the case reported, which caused limitations. Towards the end of the case study, the study found that social class is not fully a determinant of children’s lives. They found that variations among families did not appear to be linked to social class. However, social class still matters, it shows the unequally distributed resources and the differences in formal levels of education. Overall, I found this powerpoint presentation very interesting and very informative.
2. “Invisible Inequality: Social Class and Childrearing in Black Families and White Families” by Annette Lareau and “Coached for the Classroom: Parents’ Cultural Transmission and Children’s Reproduction of Educational Inequalities” by Jessica McCrory Calarco discuss social class and the discoveries within parenting methods and childrearing. Both readings were very interesting to read and all concepts and ideas are clear to understand. Lareau focuses on social class and the effects on parenting styles while Calarco focuses on social inequalities that affect children.
3. The video talks about social class and the effects of social class towards children. Lareau brings up that social class does not have much of a language in America as much as you would see in racial inequalities. Lareau believes we live in an unequal society and I agree. Many inequalities can be seen depending on how a child is raised. Lareau was part of a case study which studied 88 different families, 12 of which were observed. They discovered that all the parents had different ideas on how to raise a child. Then, Lareau goes into the differences that were noted between middle class and lower class children. It showed that middle class children were participating in organized activities while lower class children were able to be more creative but had more autonomy. However, middle class children had more valued skills which put them at an advantage because lower class children did not have this. The middle class has more resources compared to the lower class which puts the middle class at an advantage.
4. If the poor and working-class families’ resources were transformed overnight so that they equaled those of the middle-class families, I do think their cultural logic of childrearing would shift as well. It may not shift as much, but I believe their cultural logic will hardly change but their actions will. They will include their child into more organized activities but also teach their children to act accordingly.
5. Social economic inequalities will only rise as the situation continues. Learning and teaching has not been the same ever since everything went online. However, I do think there will be new forms of childrearing practices to adjust to the current situation. These childrearing practices will impact the experiences of these children during these unusual times but it is hard to tell if it will be negative or positive. From the looks of it, it may be harmful mentally for children, but only future studies will be able to tell.
1. From my PowerPoint presentation, what still isn’t very clear? Any questions, thoughts or comments you would like to share?
Everything on the PowerPoint is clear and well elaborated. The only thought that came to mind was the factor of citizenship and first generation. The other day I was talking to my brother about our future and how our kids would grow. He pointed that because he was an immigrant, and I was a first generation our children would grow up with different opportunites and social standings. I never thought that citizenship could have a lasting impact on generation, but these readings actually allow me to see a correlation. Poor people, or the working class is mostly but not fully made up of immigrants or first generation and social mobility isn’t as accessible. And middle class is usually made up of generations that have already lived in the United States, this creates more mobility. Financially it would be impacted but also in the forms that children integrate into society. Also, I saw myself relating a lot to this study because when my parents recently migrated, they were very strict with my brother and his education, the “no-excuses” was the parenting skill they did. With time we financially became more stable, around the time I was in school, and I had more of the “by-any means” parenting style, I would be absent or missing homework and my parents would write up notes so I wouldn’t be punished by it. Although the bar of financial standing wasn’t drastically changed, it still had a great impact on how my brother, and I were raised.
2. From the readings are all concepts and ideas clear?
From the Reading of Lareau, I liked how she wrote and organized her research, also that the children and families were compensated for their participation. I found the two specific parenting skills very interesting, from the concerted cultivation to the accomplishment of natural growth. I think that because working and middle class understand the importance on investing in human capital, they want to invest in their children, but Poor families can’t indulge in that mentality due to lack of financial and environmental resources, so they let children to grow to their capacity. I also thought that the way middle class and working class interacted to their children can also correlate to attachment theories and on how later in life they develop in relationships. The reading with Calarco was also very interesting to see and relate to. Poor family’s kind of have that “hustle “ mentality in my opinion and they don’t like any talk back because as workers they aren’t allowed to, they work and if they are wrong, they are punished and that’s that. For middle class families there is privilege and different opportunites that often are acceptable of errors or excuses. They are teaching their children how to behave in work environments, they think they’ll be in one day.
3. Summarize the main takeaways from the video.
Middle class had a lot less dependency in a way because they were always regulated with classes and extra curriculum. Working class had more autonomy, they were skilled in manners and social context without guidance. Middle class were more likely to go to college because of their resources and opportunities, which sometimes leave them blinded to their own privilege. Working class desire for college or higher education but there are many obstacles that they are conflicted with. Working class uses more of their cultural capital to acquire opportunites like church and extended family. Although working class lack allot of support and academic resources, they are also developing more dependency and self-autonomy which is also very resourceful in the work force.
4. Answer the question I asked in the PowerPoint presentation: “If the poor and working-class families’ resources were transformed overnight so that they equaled those of the middle-class families, would their cultural logic of childrearing shift as well? Or, do you think, are there cultural attitudes and beliefs that are substantially independent of economic and social resources that are influencing parents’ practices here?”
I think to an extent depends on the families conservativity. I think with academic education we learn to be liberalist and if they were to be given the same opportunity, they too would shift their mindset. But mostly I do think it would change the cultural attitudes and beliefs. In a weird way, money does change a person and the opportunites they are presented with, money holds power and illusion of authority. I do not think they are independent, especially if we focus in the United States that is less conservative to religion and culture. The way to adapt and gain human capital sometimes one has to let go of their culture to socially accepted.
5. Think of the situation that we are currently living, where abruptly billions of children and teenagers are being homeschooled. How do you think social economic inequalities will play into this? How will different childrearing practices impact the experiences of these children during these unusual times? Do you think these will have long-lasting consequences?
Many may assume that homeschooling is better and because New York City, to keep it specific, has provided laptops and companies have provided free WIFI, that that gap of inequality will close down but the truth is it doesn’t. Not many parents can’t 1.have the time to assist their children, 2. Understand the material in order to help and 3. They don’t have the space for an adequate learning environment. Many parents work and have more than one child, and if we focus on poor families, they are made up of essential workers, while middle class most likely have jobs from home and more time and energy to assist their children with schoolwork. It is hard times, and many parents might feel overwhelmed and short tempered with the instability the pandemic has presented, this could cause more avoidance or aggressiveness towards the children. I do believe this will have a long lasting consequence on children through elementary and middle school because this is a prime time for not only learning but socializing and establishing skills and manner.
Anthonio RoyeWEEK 111. From my PowerPoint presentation, what still isn’t very clear? Any questions, thoughts or comments you would like to share?The powerpoint perfectly breaks down what the two main readings were about. It highlights howthe papers spoke about social class and its impact on the different parenting styles and overall behaviour of the children in the different households. Social class is not fully a determinant of learning problems but it plays a key role. It highlighted the research design of the Lareau experiment (3 phases), that involved 88 persons and 12 follow up homes. It concluded that the middle class family children utilizes ‘concerted cultivation’ (organized activities, language, reasoning skills to negotiate with authorities to get what they want) while working and poor classfamilies utilized an ‘accomplishment of natural growth’ where the disciplinary actions are directive (children are told what to do and it is non-negotiable) and these children are not invested in special talents or activities organized by their parents. This was similar to the Calarcoa paper that highlighted how parents transmit culture to children, their responses and howthese responses generate profit. It also highlighted that race is less important in shaping these child bearing patterns but it does play a role.2. From the readings are all concepts and ideas clear?The Laureau reading clearly highlights the impact of social class on the outcome of children from middle, working and poor class families inside the home. Though social class was not the only determinant, it played more role than race. Lareau experiment (3 phases), that involved 88 persons and 12 follow up homes. It concluded that the middle class family children utilizes ‘concerted cultivation’ (organized activities, language, reasoning skills to negotiate with authorities to get what they want) while working and poor class families utilized an ‘accomplishment of natural growth’ where the disciplinary actions are directive (children are toldwhat to do and it is non-negotiable) and these children are not invested in special talents or activities organized by their parents but rather their own choice of leisure activities. This creates middle class children no matter their race, with a sense of entitlement and more resources to be eligible for jobs and the opposite is true for poor and working class families.The Calarcoa reading also clearly highlights the transmission of culture from parents to children and how these produce children responses and how these responses may produce stratified profits in schools. It spoke about how the parents’ beliefs about schooling are linked to their relationships to the school, how the different classes of children resolve problems and how these resolutions affect the children’s support and success in schools. The middle class children are
urged by their parents to negotiate with authorities (teachers) ‘by any means’ to get the desired outcomes they want to solve their problems. On the other hand, the working class and poor children were grown to respect the teachers, which eventually led them to not seeking help. The values of the middle class children thus give them more advantages and resources than the working or poor class children. This shows that the behaviors of childrens based on their different social classes are direct ways to show how both parents and children reproduce inequalities for generations to come.3. Summarize the main takeaways from the video.The video highlights how social class of a family has implications for the life path children experience. Lareau experiment (3 phases), that involved 88 persons and 12 follow up homes where half were African American and half were white. The 12 homes were observed for a matter of three (3) weeks and their different patterns (interactions, activities, disciplinary actions)recorded. She concluded that middle class children protest and negotiate with their parents to get what they want and their parents take the lead in aggressive planning for their educations (organized activities, invest in special talents, communicate with teachers etc.) while working and poor class children used a more ‘do as I say’ or directive strategy , however, they had more free time, greater autonomy, more family responsibility and are nicer to their siblings. The middle class children were however, more eligible for work and are more able to go pursue tertiary education as the values they garnered from their household (follow rules, organized schedules, negotiate and use of proper language) were more valued in schools. A follow up 10 years later showed that more middle class had the opportunities to go to college (more resources,better tutors) while the working and poor class families had more struggles, less college preparations but they can get help from surrounding people (neighbours, mentor, relatives, teachers) to help them be more successful in life.4. Answer the question I asked in the PowerPoint presentation: “If the poor and working-class families’ resources were transformed overnight so that they equaled those of the middle-class families, would their cultural logic of childrearing shift as well? Or, do you think, are there cultural attitudes and beliefs that are substantially independent of economic and social resources that are influencing parents’ practices here?”I believe the cultural logic of childbearing would shift, but gradually. It would shift as the children grow older, are more educated and are now procreating. As it regards to the present parents, if their resources are to change, I believe they would try to be more involved in their children’s lives, provide more resources but still instill in them the old values to respect
authorities. They will have more access to resources like better tutoring for the children, better technologies and better equipment and materials to participate in extracurricular activities that they deem are helpful for them. Therefore, I believe the cultural attitudes and beliefs may shift, but not completely. 5. Think of the situation that we are currently living, where abruptly billions of children and teenagers are being homeschooled. How do you think social economic inequalities will play into this? How will different childrearing practices impact the experiences of these childrenduring these unusual times? Do you think these will have long-lasting consequences?I believe that Covid-19 is causing severe interruptions in children’s education across the country and the world. Children are now stuck at home, which is not always a safe space for learning. The change from physical to online schooling was very abrupt and so many children may be veryconfused as to why, when will this end and when will they be able to play with their friends again. This also has drastic effects on their mental health forcing many children into psychotic disorders like depression and other anxiety disorders. Another key factor that may be interruptingchildren’s education is the access to the internet and technologies that are now mandatory for online schooling. Many low income families are struggling to make ends meet and so are the children. Many of these low income family children have not participated in online schooling from the beginning of the pandemic, over a year ago. The poor and working class families are usually dependent on teachers and school to be incharge of their children’s learnings and so whenit becomes their responsibility, they may not know what to do and how to do it and so these children are at a disadvantage. In contrast, the middle class families are usually involved in their children’s schooling and so homeschooling may not be a big issue for them as they are usually guided/trained to do work at home. This among other factors, puts poor, working class and some middle class children (some may rather to learn at school than home) at a disadvantage and they may eventually fall behind in school (long-lasting consequences) when compared to majority of higher income families that have the necessary resources and ease to continue schooling.
I find it interesting that lower-class parents push this independent no excuses mindset on their children and are still usually labeled as lazy for being lower class. When in actuality a big part of the, being continuing to be lower class generation after generation is the idea of relying on yourself so early which can affect how they network as they grow older which is a big part of social mobility.
Working-class families gave their children more autonomy and their children had more “real life” skills whereas middle-class families were extremely hands-on in their children’s lives created more academic and networking skills for their kids. Also, children of working-class parents are more respectful of authority while children of middle-class families are more combative.
I believe that they’d still be in the same mindset so even if the child of that working-class family now had more money and no longer went to a public school and could afford a private school they’d still probably have the same self-reliance mindset where they would not use the resources around them because they don’t know about it. A parent who never took an ACT or SAT is not going to tell their child to make sure they ask their counselor about SAT classes at the school or even look into it themselves as a parent because they don’t know. A child would have more luck finding out about something like that through a peer who is middle class.
I think now more than ever economic inequalities will affect students and their learning. Before this children were able to leave home at home (as much they could of course) and get all the same resources within a school but now children are forced to deal with home and school at the same time with fewer resources. So a working-class child who already has the idea that it is their responsibility to make sure they get a million and one things are done without the organization and communication skills of a middle-class child might fall behind.
Everything was understandable from the powerpoint. I thought it was interesting to see the different methods for child rearing placed side by side in the graph. While reading the papers, I found myself seeing which child rearing approach fit into my life. I would consider my family middle class, but my parents took the accomplishment of natural growth path for most things. I think that it might have to do with their background in how they were raised and the trajectory of their lives. My parents came to the states when they were younger, so they had to play a game of catch up while also sponsoring my other relatives from Cambodia during the war. Because they lacked choice in life, they gave us the thing I think they wanted the most, which was choice. My sister often laments on how my parents didn’t enroll us in extracurricular things like the kids in our school (went to school with other middle class, predominately white students), but my mom says its because she wanted us to have the autonomy that she didn’t have as a child.
Yes, I really enjoyed the readings. It’s not something I’ve really thought about affecting my life. Whenever my sister argues that we’d be more well rounded if my parents placed us in extracurricular activities, I’d always argue and say that it wouldn’t have made that big a difference. It seems I might be wrong, even though there’s more to concerted cultivation than the activities.
The main takeaways from the video is that there is a social class in America and depending on that social class, there is an observed difference in how parents rear their children. She says that it’s not surprising that in the end, those of the middle class families went off to do well in comparison to those of the poor/working class. She likens it to a steep staircase. She recommends sharing cultural information and knowledge.
There’s a lot to this question, but I do think that their childrearing would shift, although maybe not quickly. When answering this question, I’m thinking about why working class and poor parents can’t or won’t give their children the same child rearing as middle class parents. If I’m a working class parent who gives my child more autonomy in their life (whether it be because I don’t have the money, time or I have my memories in how I was raised) and I suddenly have the things I need to make a switch, I would want my child to choose. Parents want the best for their kids, so I think it would be a mix of maintaining their current lifestyle in what the child wants but also a mix of incorporating rearing techniques used by middle class parents to make sure they are equipped for the future.
I think working class and poor children suffer the most because of the switch to a virtual classroom. Aside from just lacking the same resources that a middle class student might have, a working class/poor student will have the combination of no excuses child rearing and the hardship of learning online. Therefore, they might have a harder time reaching out if they are struggling and might feel suffocated by the online atmosphere. In comparison, children of by any means rearing will ask questions when they need help and be more open about struggling. I think it will definitely have long lasting consequences, especially considering that parents are also stressed and probably at home with their kids.
1. From my PowerPoint presentation, what still isn’t very clear? Any questions, thoughts, or comments you would like to share?
In this week’s PowerPoint, we learn about the factors and different aspects of inequalities within families. We discuss the two research papers conducted by Lareau and Calarco. These papers are very similar in their goal. The information is given from the slides is straightforward. The main objective of these research papers is to see if social classes affect the way parents teach their children different values. They both took field research in schools. However, Lareau collected different races as for Calarco she only collected information by a single race. Overall, I find this PowerPoint interesting because it gives me perspective on how each parent is affected by social class.
2. From the readings are all concepts and ideas clear?
In this week’s readings, the concepts were pretty clear. They both want to observe if parents coming from different social classes affect children’s behavior. In Lareau’s paper, she illustrated how each class expressed different parenting styles on children. She concluded that classes do indeed have an impact on parenting. However, she also emphasizes that this is not the only factor that has an impact. She describes that some children had learning disabilities, none of the social classes were protected by family deaths, etc. Her research explains the idea that middle-class parents focus more on developing their children’s cognitive skills and abilities. This is an advantage in human capital. The more we invest in early life the more chances of succeeding later on in life for the child. For the poorer families, their mentalities were completely different. The parents were more materialistic than putting them into programs.
Calarco’s research aims to see how parents teach and transmit culture to children, how children respond, and how these responses generate stratified profits. Their results are very similar to Lareau’s research. They found that middle-class parents try to use any resources that are available for the child. The poor families and working-class were more independent and did not seek help from teachers. These behaviors show signs of how parents teach their children differently because of their social class. Different social classes different behaviors amongst children.
3. Summarize the main takeaways from the video.
In this video, Annette Lareau explains the common idea of no social class in America. However, there are inequalities and it illustrates itself in families. Families play a big role in children’s development and their future. She reiterates her research paper. Each family had different ways to raise their children based on their social classes. Working families were were directive and children did not question their parents. In middle-class families, children often whined and talked back to their parents. There are advantages to having a higher income, families would try to intervene in their children’s education. Middle-class children have more advantages in education and schooling because of their early exposure to a higher level of education. Working families have to work harder in looking for help.
4. Answer the question I asked in the PowerPoint presentation: “If the poor and working-class families’ resources were transformed overnight so that they equaled those of the middle-class families, would their cultural logic of childrearing shift as well? Or, do you think, are there cultural attitudes and beliefs that are substantially independent of economic and social resources that are influencing parents’ practices here?”
I believe that this shift of resources would not change their cultural logic of childrearing. They would still believe in the “no excuses” problem-solving. Behaviors cannot change overnight it takes time to assimilate and change norms. There is still a chance that they will use more resources because it is available to them but their way of teaching children will not change. They have more resources but they still want the child to succeed. Also, it depends on the resources given. If it were money they would most likely save the money for the children’s future college. Their mindsets will change slowly but not right away. So, this mindset will still be present regardless of an overnight transformation.
5. Think of the situation that we are currently living, where abruptly billions of children and teenagers are being homeschooled. How do you think social economic inequalities will play into this? How will different childrearing practices impact the experiences of these children during these unusual times? Do you think these will have long-lasting consequences?
Homeschooled children will have trouble fitting in later on in life. A school is a place for socialization and many are their first step to entering society. Most parents who do put children in homeschooling believe education is better than a school. Now we must stay home and do everything virtually. This harms a child to the experience of socialization. Children are limited to a laptop rather than a classroom. From my experience, my parents stayed the same. Their mentality of me succeeding in school remained the same nothing has changed. However, access to resources did change, and parents who are in the working class are even more disadvantaged. Parents struggle with keeping time for their children because they are at home. Working parents usually leave their children at school while they work.
1. The PowerPoint was very clear and helped me process the information in the two papers. Since I read the articles first, the PowerPoint was a nice review that helped me remember the key points of each. Because it was condensed, it was also easier for me to relate the two studies to each other and find similarities in their methods and results.
I do not have any specific questions about the PowerPoint or the studies, but I do look forward to discussing everything in class and hearing other people’s perspectives. I wonder what suggestions everyone has to try and lessen/eliminate these inequalities, change working-class parents’ negative beliefs around asking for help, and encourage working-class students to speak up when they need help.
2. I really enjoyed these two readings. As someone considering going into education, it was eye-opening to see how parents get involved with the school system. I imagine that being aware of social phenomena such as “emerging senses of entitlement and restraint” would be helpful in how teachers approach their students from different social classes (Lareau p.766). Both articles, although mainly Calarco’s, mention the belief that asking questions/for help is rewarded with answers, but if a child is conditioned to stay quiet and not ask questions as a form of respect, how is the teacher supposed to know they are struggling? This difference in behavior results in the high-income children getting the help they need while the lower-income children stay to themselves. If this happens throughout their academic career, it is understandable that the higher-income children will do better academically which could translate into more prestigious and higher-paying jobs. This then becomes a cyclical process where each child ends up fulfilling this unofficial prophecy. Hopefully studies like this are available to teachers because while the children do have the ability to speak up, they might not do so, and it then becomes the teacher’s responsibility to ensure that all of their students are learning the material. Reading studies like these can give teachers insight into their student minds/thought processes which can help them better understand their behaviors and needs.
3. The video was very interesting and given the two readings, I also was not surprised by the finding of Lareau’s study. I was, however, a little surprised by her recommendation for how to combat this inequality. At the end of the video, she recommends that working/lower-class families who do not feel equipped to help their child in school should seek help, whether it be through a friend, family member, mentor, or even a teacher. I was surprised by this because there is so much evidence, even from Lareau herself, citing that these working/lower-class parents prefer not to ask for help and encourage their children to do the same. Laraue’s “emerging sense of restraint” and Calarco’s “no-excuses approach” both demonstrate that working-class parents are against asking for help because it discourages hard work and can come off as selfish. If this is the message that the parents already believe and have so ingrained in their minds that they project it onto their children, why would they be willing to seek out help now? While I’m sure the advice would yield a positive result, I am doubtful that many of these parents would actually feel comfortable following it.
4. I don’t think that suddenly changing one’s resources overnight would necessarily change a working-class parent’s cultural logic. Cultural beliefs and logic are things that take time to develop. They become ingrained in one’s head after years of exposure, so magically changing their access to resources isn’t going to magically change the approach they have to their child’s development and/or academic career. Perhaps things would be different if this access to resources increased prior to a person having children (i.e. receiving a massive raise while a mother is pregnant) because these resources would have always been accessible during the child’s life. If for the first five years of a child’s life the family does not have a surplus of resources, parents will be used to having a “no excuses” approach and children will be used to having free time with little to no extracurriculars. Suddenly giving them access to resources and encouraging a “by-all-means” approach does not mean that their logic and routine way of living will change on a dime.
Instead, I think changing a working-class family’s resources will have a greater effect on the next generation. Perhaps the child will grow up knowing more about the benefits these resources have and grow comfortable with the idea of a “by-all-means” approach. Then, if they inherit the increased resources from their parents, they may be able to use them in a way that aligns more with the beliefs and logic of middle-class families when it comes to their own children.
5. I think the pandemic and virtual learning will have a tremendous effect on education inequalities. Working-class families are proportionally affected more by COVID-19 than middle and upper-class families, so the disruptions of the virus itself will also be more rampant amongst lower-class children. This can affect their ability to attend and/or concentrate. These children may also have less access to computers and/or tablets and internet connections (we learned in another lecture that poorer families tend to have more children, so with more people working/learning from home, wifi connections will run thin, especially in apartment buildings). Younger children may struggle even more if their parents are uneducated. If their parents don’t know how to use the technology, the child may not be able to log on on time or manage the software as efficiently as middle and upper-class children.
In reference to the readings for today, virtual school also means less one-on-one time. Sure, teachers can use break-out rooms, but children lose the opportunity to approach a teacher quietly and independently to ask questions, and the pinned boxes of Zoom and other platforms put children front and center when asking/answering questions. We know that working-class children are taught not to ask questions or ask for help, so I assume they would be even less likely to do so if they know their entire class will hear them (they may feel more comfortable asking privately).
– Of course, a potential benefit is that the lack of privacy will mean whatever questions are asked, presumably by the middle and upper-class students, will be broadcasted and answered to the entire class, so working-class students might get some answers through other children asking.
1. The powerpoint did a good job explaining both of the readings and their main points. Even though both papers focused on the different child rearing approaches I kind of think Lareua should’ve had an immigrant family in each economic class as well participate in her study. Yes money does play a huge part in a child’s life but so so does ethnic background. If Laura included an Indian family or even Hispanic in her study then it would probably show more on how money may not be the issue but mostly just the parents. Most immigrant parents that move to the states move for their family wants what is best for their child. So they will push their child to a lot of things regardless if they do not have the funds for it. They will try their best to give their child something they did not have growing up.
2. All the concepts and ideas from the readings were very clear. I found the first reading very interesting. I grew up in a working family household however my life was packed just like the kid from the black middle class family. During the school year I was a part of a dance team at my church and outside. I also was also part of my church choir, youth and kids department. During the summer I went to camp, had swimming and horseback riding lessons. My family took a lot of vacations. Besides being always busy I was always hanging out with my cousin and playing with the neighborhood kids mostly on the weekend.
3. The main point of the video is the main focus of Lareau’s research. After conducting her study and research she found out that children from working class families hardly back talk, they respect parental authority and the parents give clear directions to the children on what they expect. However in middle class families the children are whining and constantly bother their parents for things. According to Lareau children from a working class home had more important skills which consist of them playing alone outside, nicer to family. However the skills from the middle class family were skills that are valued by schools and jobs which gave them an advantage.
4. I do think there will be a shift in childrearing because now the parents would be able to provide for the child differently however cultural attitudes and beliefs can be separate from money. With more money poor and working-class families can provide for things such as putting them in sports, getting them a tutor or even setting up college funds for them because money won’t be as tight as before. However it is hard to get out of habits especially if it’s been a very long time. So if the kids are used to just hanging around after school watching tv and playing with the kids in the neighborhood and have no interest in learning something new (instrument, sports, etc.). Then that is what they are going to want to do. Most poor or working class parents probably won’t even try and persuade their kid to do something else.
5. Covid 19 has affected everyone from their income to their education. A lot of poor and working class families did not have access to the internet or even laptops for everyone. Most families have one laptop or desk computer for the whole family to share, because of that a lot of kids could not attend class affecting their education. Most states like NYC realized this issue so NYC public schools started giving out laptops or tablets to those who need it. Even though these kids now have devices the next issue is the internet. How useful is a device that works on the internet with no internet? Since that was another issue and places like the library that gives free internet was closed. Internet companies started providing free internet or plans as low as $15 a month. I feel like if these issues weren’t solved right away then yes there would have been long lasting consequences. No one knew how long schools would have been closed and all these children would have fallen behind resulting in them most likely repeating the grade. Pushing them back farther in their education.
1. The PowerPoint presentation summarized both readings well. A similarity between the readings is the focus on parenting. Both Lareau and Calarco focus on parenting styles on the basis of social class and the effects it has on children in their daily lives and in school. I think that Calarco’s categories of “by all means approach” and “no excuse approach” compliment Lareau’s ideas of “Concerted cultivation” and “accomplishment of natural growth”. In both readings, the authors emphasize how middle class parents and children make institutions work for them and their interests. For example, Calarco highlights that middle class children are more likely to ask their teacher for assistance because their parents encourage them to do so. Meanwhile, Lareau showcased how Mrs. Williams encouraged Alexander to speak with his doctor directly to address his concerns. Unlike Lareau, Calarco doesn’t account for race nor is her study multi-sited. There is also a conflict between the two texts, when speaking on working class families, Lareau argues that low income families view institutions as untrustworthy whereas in Calarco’s text the working class parents trusted the expertise of the schools.
2. The arguments in the reading are clear. However, I think Calarco was too pessimistic when addressing the working class students. I feel that she made it seem as if only working class students can learn from middle class students. One of the pros of the “No excuse” approach is that it allows for students to grow to be independent. On page 1028 she briefly mentions, “ When you get into a boss situation, your mom doesn’t call and say, “Sorry my daughter doesn’t understand what she’s supposed to come and do today at work.” Part of the problem, with the “by all means” approach is that it results in too much dependence from the authoritative figure and in the case of the classroom paints the teacher as the only resource. When I was in high school we were purposefully seated in groups because as students we were resources to each other. In fact, our teachers always encouraged us to ask our peers before asking them for help. In contrast, Lareau briefly discussed how working class children tend to be resourceful when she mentioned Harold’s makeshift basketball equipment. In addition, because Calarco did her study in one school, her study isn’t considerate of the student to teacher ratio which tends to be higher in predominantly low income schools. Ms. Durham was also depicted as a great teacher however the quality of teachers ranges and might affect how comfortable students feel when asking questions. The quality of teachers may also depend on the neighborhood where schools are located. While reading about Alexander and Mrs. Williams’ visit to the doctor, I agreed with the notion that institutions should work for the people. However, that’s not always the case especially when considering social class. I think we need to more deeply observe how patients’ experiences in hospitals differ between those who receive health insurance through government programs and those who have private insurance. It’s important to note how often they visit their doctors and how often their needs are satisfied. I believe the difference in parenting styles and approaches to institutions can sometimes be a result of larger societal issues and not the individual.
3. In the video, Annette Lareau discusses the study she designed to observe different parenting styles categorized by social class and child experiences. Families were divided into middle class, working class and poor. Lareau conducted two hour interviews with 88 families with children who were about 10 years old. The study was inclusive of both African-Americans and White Americans. 12 of the 88 families were observed. In working class families, children showed higher levels of obedience and respect of an authoritative figure. In middle class families, the children protested their parents’ commands and whined til their wishes were met. In terms of school education, working class families have less educational attainment and are less involved with their children’s school. Middle class children tend to have busier schedules which can be seen as extensions of the school day. In contrast, working class students had more agency although having more responsibilities at home. Overall, schools valued the qualities of middle class children more. When Laureau checked back on her participants years later she found that parent’s social class played a huge role in whether students went to college or not, as a result many more middle class students went to college than working class students. Nonetheless, the entitlement of middle class children hindered their ability to appreciate their parents effort to get them to their current positions.
4. If the poor and working-class families’ resources were transformed overnight so that they equaled those of the middle-class families, I think their cultural logic of childrearing would shift but would never be exact reflections of one another. For example, if Harold McAllister moved into Alexander Williams neighborhood and attended the same school, Harold may feel more inclined to participate in structured activities organized by adults because of his environment. However, Harold will also have to become more aware of his race which in Alexander’s neighborhood may marginalize him and prevent him from being as outgoing as he would where he currently lives. Nonetheless, I believe the McAllisters and Williams families will influence one another to develop mixtures of parenting styles. For example, Harold enjoys playing basketball which is a hobby he picked up during his free time. In the scenario where Alexander and Harold become friends, Alexander may also discover that he enjoys playing basketball as well. This might deter him from wanting to do the activities his mother sets up for him. Due to his “entitlement” he’ll convey that feeling to his mother who may or may not give him agency in choosing his activities. Mrs Williams may also suggest that the boys join a formal basketball team rather than just playing for fun in their free time.
5. There has been a variety of responses to schooling due to the pandemic. Some children are home schooled while others still attend class in person. This unusual situation brings pros and cons to both working class and middle class children. A con they both share is the limited interaction with other children which affects their communication and cognitive skills. However, a pro both may share is the individualized attention. From personal experience I have found that many low income parents have taken time off of work to attend the educational needs of their children. As Lareau mentioned, working class families are resourceful and have stronger connections to their extended families so many parents have relied on family members to supervise their kid’s virtual classes. One way inequality has been evident has been the inability for some students to recreate classrooms at home. Space is a luxury and in an urban area like New York it can be very costly. Not to mention, not all parents can afford to buy their children technology or pay a monthly internet bill. Students especially those who are low income don’t have access to the same selection of books and equipment that are available in schools. In general, I believe low income students may fall behind because the resources they need to be at level with other children in their grade are expensive and require a significant time commitment. However, because of their home setting many parents may be more involved with their children’s education than ever. A possible issue middle class families may run into is structure. As shown in the text, Alexander’s life was scheduled to the max but because of the virus, activities like sports, theater productions and church services (choir) may be cancelled. Therefore, Alexander and his parents may need to get creative with keeping themselves busy which may be a challenge considering how an abundance of structure limits his own imagination.
Extra Comment:
While reading Lareau’s text I disagreed with some of the parents who said television is passive. As a first-generation American, English isn’t my first language and one way I was able to learn it was through television. When learning a language, one of the most effective activities is shadowing which is when the learner listens to an audio and repeats it. As a child, I found myself singing the theme songs to shows which is a form of shadowing. Therefore, I wasn’t just watching television but I was engaging with what I was seeing and hearing. Television also served as an introduction to American culture which is somewhat foreign to me considering I grew up in an immigrant household.
1. From my PowerPoint presentation, what still isn’t very clear? Any questions, thoughts or comments you would like to share?
The PowerPoint was very helpful in breaking down the readings especially the reading “Invisible Inequality: Social Class and Childrearing in Black Families and White Families”. Not that it was difficult to read or understand but more so because it was somewhat lengthy. One point discussed in the PowerPoint presentation as well as that in “Invisible Inequality” reading is that of how race is considered to be less important compared to class in the role that it has with shaping childrearing patterns. However, when taking into consideration the views of the families from the study such as the Williams, a Black middle-class family, they express how race plays a major definite role in key aspects of their daily life. This goes to show that in the end, both race and class are factors that should be taken into consideration and deemed as important.
2. From the readings are all concepts and ideas clear?
Overall, the concepts and ideas from both readings are clear. I enjoyed both readings as they covered topics that I believe could be relatable and overall, it was extremely helpful in distinguishing the various differences between the middle, poor, and working-class. It was also interesting to see the different ways the studies were conducted in these two readings. For example, the reading “Invisible Inequality: Social Class and Childrearing in Black Families and White Families” includes both white and black families meanwhile the second reading “Coached for the Classroom: Parents’ Cultural Transmission and Children’s Reproduction of Educational Inequalities” only includes white families. This was a difference that immediately stood out and of course, leaves one wondering if and how the results were to differ when it comes to minority families. Though in the end, through both readings we learn about the various differences between class such as relying on by any means problem solving vs. no excuses problem solving or engaging in concerted cultivation vs. natural growth.
3. Summarize the main takeaways from the video.
Some of the main takeaways from the video include the discussion on the study conducted and the research gathered by Annette Lareau when looking at class differences in family life. Key findings of this study dealt with the different ways in which parent’s believed were the best ones to raise their children. For example, working-class parents relied on directives to their children more than middle-class parents and as a result of that, children from working-class families were less likely to talk back to their parents or question authority. Another main takeaway is that of the difference between the daily life of middle-class and working-class children like how middle-class children tend to be busier as they had more organized activities than working-class children. Furthermore, Lareau discusses how middle-school children had advantages that working and poor class children did not have and how a decade later, we see how these advantages played a role as the majority of the middle-class children had gone to college. Lastly, Lareau emphasizes how it’s not just money that plays a role but so does cultural knowledge and information.
4. Answer the question I asked in the PowerPoint presentation: “If the poor and working-class families’ resources were transformed overnight so that they equaled those of the middle-class families, would their cultural logic of childrearing shift as well? Or, do you think, are there cultural attitudes and beliefs that are substantially independent of economic and social resources that are influencing parents’ practices here?”
If the poor and working-class families’ resources were transformed, I do believe that to some extent, their cultural logic of childrearing would shift as well. These resources could include a range of things such as money, education, occupation, and so on and these resources could provide opportunities that the poor and working-class don’t have. As a result, this could shift the way in which they go about childrearing as they may not have the same view on focusing on the accomplishment of natural growth. Instead, they might want to focus more on investing and developing their children’s needs as do middle-class families with their focus on concerted cultivation. However, as discussed by Lareau, there are other factors that are not associated with social class that also play a role in the variations of these families such as the presence or absence of humor and levels of anxiety.
5. Think of the situation that we are currently living, where abruptly billions of children and teenagers are being homeschooled. How do you think social economic inequalities will play into this? How will different childrearing practices impact the experiences of these children during these unusual times? Do you think these will have long-lasting consequences?
Social and economic inequalities definitely would still play a role when it comes to being homeschooled during these times. Specifically, when it comes to poor and working-class children since it’s highly likely that their parents continue to work and maybe even more as the pandemic has caused a range of challenges. As a result, this takes away the attention and time that the parents could spend on their children, even if they wish to be there and invest in their children, their need to support the family in these unusual times makes it hard. Furthermore, going to school may have provided opportunities for the children from these families that the parents were not able to provide. For example, the parents may not have the knowledge to assist their child with their homework or assignments and thus, they relied on the teachers for that. Therefore, now that they don’t have these opportunities, it makes it harder not just for the child but the parents as well. The different childrearing practices would have an impact on the experiences of these children. As for middle-class families they no longer have the same range of activities relied on in order to focus on concerted cultivation now that they’re being homeschooled. Examples of these organized activities provided by schools include being on a team learning how to play an instrument or being involved in schools plays. All this can lead to long-lasting consequences for all children as they are missing out on opportunities and experiences that could provide them with valuable skills, social connections, and so much more.
1.This week’s PowerPoint was very clear, and the slides helped me understand the main points of the two articles. It fully summarizes the main content of the two articles, including the parenting styles of the middle class and the working class, and the influence of family background on children. For parenting styles, the middle class and the working class have different methods, including “concerted cultivation”, “natural growth” and “no-excuse”, “by-any-means”.
2.From the readings all concepts and ideas are clear. Family background is very important to the success of future children. Parents in the middle class tend to follow the “concerted cultivation” parenting method. This way of parenting brings more experience to children and even develops their cognition and skills. The working class tends to “natural growth” parenting methods, they pay more attention to children’s physical exercise. Calarco’s article mainly refers to the inheritance of parents. Middle-class parents emphasize “by-any-means” to solve problems, that is, to seek help from teachers. And working-class parents emphasize “no-excuse”, that is, do not seek help and respect the authority of the teacher. This shows that different classes have different education methods, which make children form different processing methods or behaviors.
3.The video talks about class differences in family life (family influence on children), and discusses how parents raise children (life). In a working-class family, parents will give instructions, and children have no right to say no. Children in middle-class families have the right to resist or no. Communist parents usually drop out of high school, so they give their children’s education to school. And middle-class parents will actively participate in school-organized activities (participate in educating children). So the advantages of middle-class children are language, social, and skill advantages.
4.If the resources of poor and working-class families are the same as those of middle-class families, I don’t think their cultural logic of parenting will change. Because the educational method of a family depends on the educational level of the parents or their own educational philosophy, this educational method will not change due to different resources. Because they have their own way of education, or they are not good at educating children. They may also think that they are incapable of educating their children, and that children’s education at school is the best way to raise children, because schools can teach children knowledge.
5.Many young people are receiving family education, and this situation has caused trouble for many working-class parents. Because the child uses a computer or ipad for class, and the child’s homework needs the help of parents. Moreover, remote online courses are not as efficient as in classrooms, and without the close supervision of teachers, many students lose their concentration in learning. The most important point is that there is no opportunity to participate in school-organized activities, so that students lack opportunities to exercise and socialize with others. Or lack of opportunities to learn other skills.
1. From the PowerPoint, when we talk about parents success and how their involvement in their children’s life affects their own success I would like to know what is the median answer or in a way how do we compare this from case to case. For example, how do we know the outcome of that kids achievements is based on their parents involvement, how do we put other social forces such as mentorship or self autonomy into equation. I would also like to bring to question from the section talking about the main results, when it says that poorer parents tend to not focus on developing their kids special talents and as a result they may lack that skill to burst them into a successful life, but how do we blame the parents, I guess in a way I’m questioning if the parents are really at fault.
3. The video talks about the experiment they did and how they performed it, it was pretty straightforward and easy to understand to me. Towards the beginning of the video she says that “we know we live in an unequal society” and she also states that families are vital in many areas of a kid’s success, so with this being said, how do we still turn back and blame the family for the lack of success of a child when we know the struggles they face especially if they happen to be black living under the poverty line with not so great qualities schools, how is the parent to blame for the social forces that most time due to ignorance they can’t escape. Yes, we know that they have a responsibility being said that they brought the kid to life but that doesn’t justify these facts. Also, I feel like the experiment was good but that time frame doesn’t really tell whether that kid is going to have a successful life because many things change as time goes.
4. Answering that question, I believe that if these same parents were to inherit such an amount to lift up their social status I believe that they would still keep the same beliefs and practices that they had prior simply because such a change in someone’s financial life doesn’t process the right way, what comes fast goes fast they would not have the knowledge to maintain the status which was given to them as a surprise and not earned or worked enough to be appreciated. They would be overwhelmed and trying to see what they could do to solve their problems and make their lives better but it would be hard to change their parenting style
5. In regards to this scenario, I believe that beause of the situation we’re in right now when it comes to the pandemic and having no other option but to homeschool as a form of education inequalities will rise as high as skyscrapers and not only will they exacerbate them they will also generate more. Not all parents can afford having to get each children a piece of electronic where they could do their school work effectively, it comes into thinking that these parents might still be working and have no type of reassurance that their kids are being supervised by a responsible adult that looks over their education. With this problems also comes the thought that in case that kid is not attending his classes as he is mandated child services could come into contact with that family too and with that comes a million other problems, kids will not have competition with others and will always be at the comfort of their home and not networking and coming in contact with opportunities. Parents have very different tactics and childring practices that will come into play of how well that kid is actually learning and if that parent has the knowledge to be qualified to attend their learning differences. Lastly, I think that they will have long lasting consequences because it will be rather harder for people especially kids that been online schooling for so long to actually reenter society and adapt to the behavior and etiquette that they once were so familiar with.
Everything from the PowerPoint was very clear and informative.
All concepts and ideas are clear and straightforward from the reading.
The lack of social class in America is explained by Annette Lareau but there are inequalities. A child’s development relies heavily on their family and environment which will ultimately affect their future. Lareau discusses how families of higher class are more likely to be involved in their child’s education as opposed to middle class families. As for lower class families, they would be very direct when speaking to their children.
I do not believe that overnight the mindset and behaviors of these individuals will change. It will take time and adjustment for their mindset and behavior to slowly change and adapt to the lifestyle of having more resources.
Economic inequalities will affect students because not all of them have access to the same resources that are needed when learning and schooling from home. Before the pandemic, although the economic inequalities still affected students and their schooling it was not to this extent. Prior to the pandemic students from lower income communities still did not have as much resources as those from a walthier community but they still had access to more resources than they would at home. Not only that but schooling is a getaway for children from lower income communities who may need to use it as a breather to step away from their at-home reality to feel like a kid again. These students will eventually be more stressed due to learning how to deal with such an abrupt transition as well as the lack of resources and/or help. Unfortunately, the consequences frm this will have a long-lasting impact.
1. From my PowerPoint presentation, what still isn’t very clear? Any questions, thoughts or comments you would like to share?
I found the Power Point to be very clear and concise for the most part, I think a lot of great points were made and were thoroughly explained. One of the things that I liked about the power point was how clearly it explained the differences of childrearing techniques depending on social class. I think most people think that the way that a child is brought up is the same throughout families or they expect them to have the same guidelines. Yet people fail to consider that social class does impact childrearing because of the different advantages or opportunities that someone is exposed to. Overall, the Power Point did a good job in explaining this topic and it also made it easier for me to understand the readings as well as the video.
2. From the readings are all concepts and ideas clear?
I found this week readings to be quite dense but informative. Although it took me a bit longer to fully grasp each concept, they were mentioning I think it did a good job at expressing the importance of each topic.
3. Summarize the main takeaways from the video.
The main take away of this video was to focus on social class and the kind of inequality that it creates. It explained the differences between the working, middle, and upper class and how it creates inequality because they are each presented with different opportunities. It also placed a great emphasis on how there are key elements that impact this such as cultural knowledge.
4. Answer the question I asked in the PowerPoint presentation: “If the poor and working-class families’ resources were transformed overnight so that they equaled those of the middle-class families, would their cultural logic of childrearing shift as well? Or, do you think, are there cultural attitudes and beliefs that are substantially independent of economic and social resources that are influencing parents’ practices here?”
If the poor and the working class suddenly had the same resources that the middle class, I think that their cultural logic of childrearing would shift but not entirely, because I also believe that some of their attitudes and beliefs are independent to economic and social resources. As the video mentioned, each social class depends on certain things and teaches certain things depending on their resources which isn’t the same throughout social class. Therefore, it explains the inequality between class and if all classes had the same resources their childrearing techniques will change with it. It is important to note that an individual’s cultural background also matters and affects their childrearing techniques because of their cultural beliefs, and it has nothing to do with money.
5. Think of the situation that we are currently living, where abruptly billions of children and teenagers are being homeschooled. How do you think social economic inequalities will play into this? How will different childrearing practices impact the experiences of these children during these unusual times? Do you think these will have long-lasting consequences?
This is one of the things that I began to think about when began having online classes and I saw how the school was handling the situation. I know that our school offers computers for those who don’t have access to them which is a great way to provide them with the ability to participate in online classes. So, this is one example of how social economic inequalities come into play when teenagers are being homeschooled. Every individual has to deal with different things and one of the biggest differences that come is economic inequalities such as not being able to afford internet connection or a computer. You also have to think about how some individuals might live in a place where they don’t have their own room so they can’t concentrate because they’re not alone. On the other hand, there are individuals who are have better circumstances so they have access to all of these things and more and it definitely generates inequalities that can long lasting consequences.
1. The powerpoint presentation was clear and it really simplified the readings for me . It was interesting how there are different values being taught to children and the understanding of opportunities depending on social class. Also how parents view situations and problem solving ways also influence how they teach their child.
2. The readings were also clear. It was helpful to see the comparisons between social classes and things that are valued and taught.
3. The main takeaways were about the inequalities based on the differences in social class and how it affects families and their relationships with lifestyles and how they interact and participate in the children’s lives in various aspects like discipline, their education and encouraging building skills and taking part in activities. Also mentioned in the video was how children from different social backgrounds benefit and learn transferable skills and what types of things are valued.
4. The cultural logic may shift when it comes to certain aspects so that it can preserve and create more opportunities. By this, they might be willing to do more like reaching out and asking for help and encouraging that in their children because they have more to work with, and not in the attitude of lack or just get it on their own.
5. Given the current situation with remote schooling it might have been really hard for some students to transition because they didn’t have the proper access to resources or tools to do their schoolwork such as access to wifi or a device. Also, since they don’t have access to speak with teachers, getting work done, understanding assignments and even getting help from their teachers or other students, school becomes a task and very stressful. The grade level of the student can also affect it because younger grade children may need more guidance and instruction and they won’t be able to get that from home for such reasons as their parents are busy with work, don’t have the knowledge/resources or want to put themselves in a position to become the teacher. For higher grade students, it might have been an escape from home and other responsibilities, and the overload of schoolwork on top can be more stressful. In the long term, this may cause children to be farther behind as well as a disinterest in wanting to learn anything at all.
1. As always the powerpoint was very easy to understand and follow. I always like when the power points have information about the readings because it makes it easier for me to understand the readings as well. I also like how the powerpoint covers the “hard statistics” of the readings and creates an easier way to convey with us.
2. The readings, I felt were easier to understand than past readings and they were both really interesting, they really make you think about the world that we live in. I really enjoyed the reading of Annette Lareau because it brought a topic that not many people want to talk about, the inequality between black families and white families. Calarco’s paper was a bit harder to grasp, but it also provided an important topic to the table. I really like how these readings make me understand that the problems that you know of are worse than we thought, at least in my case.
3. As I started the video, one big takeaway from it was that families are a huge predictor for children’s outcomes, which we discussed in the last class. It was also pretty interesting how kids in middle class families responded to their parents compared to working class families. Also, how the middle class families were more aggressive when it came to education, as compared to the other families that waited for the school to intervene. Overall, the video was really helpful because it showed the differences in families with different economic status and their impact.
4. I think there will be a shift, but it will take some time for this shift to happen. Many cultural attitudes and beliefs exist because of which socio-economic status you are. I feel that if poor families and working families have the same resources as the middle class families their parenting will change overtime because they have more resources to work with now than before. The way I think about it is that if you suddenly win the lottery, you will most likely change the way you live (Not right away, but eventually). While I was growing up, I had a friend whose parents had a lot of money and therefore every-time he did in school, he was given something as a reward. This wasn’t my case because my parents couldn’t afford it, however, I believe that if they could afford it, they would have done the same with me.
5. When being homeschooled, socioeconomic inequalities will still be present. The working and poor families will have less time helping their children study because they are mostly working trying to provide for their families, while the middle class families will be able to spend more time with their children and their studies. Also, working/poor families who decide to hire a tutor for their children will most likely hire them for less hours compared to the middle class families. For example, my girlfriend is middle class and she has a little brother, due to Covid-19 he spends most of his time taking classes from home, his parents get home around 4-5 PM everyday which gives them enough time to help him with his homework. Now, imagine the working class who probably have two jobs and get home at midnight, they obviously won’t have enough time to help their children with their homework or give them the support they need.
The powerpoint is very clear and the articles summarized to focus on the main points of research methods and the findings. I was wondering however for Lareau’s article why the research design seemed very complex since there were many phases and for each phase several different families were recruited for observations and interviews. I know each phase has different participants from different areas, but does this make the research design more representative of the population? Is going about this design more reliable? Why couldn’t she just recruit participants from one large, diverse city to make things simpler? I felt like this study seemed time consuming and costly. Her study’s limitation was that it could not be generalizable since the sample she had was not random and representative, so I’m wondering if she could’ve done this study with a different design. Also, for Calarco’s article, I felt the participants in her study were not as diverse since most of them consisted of mostly white people. I did notice how Calarco discussed Lareau’s study on child-rearing styles and how her own study addressed certain limitations of Lareau’s study. Calarco wanted her own study to extend to Lareau’s research by focusing on class-based cultural transmission which created stratified profits.
The readings were mostly clear and interesting. Lareau’s study discussed how parenting styles differ based on social class which created different ways of child-rearing. Results showed how social class was the factor that mainly influences the child-rearing practices instead of race. Black and White families from the working class and middle class were studied. Middle class families used concerted cultivation for their children, which means that they made their children participate in organized and structured activities to cultivate their life skills and development. They also emphasized language use, social connections, and reasoning as important for them. On the other hand, poor working class families believed in accomplishment of natural growth and that love, food, safety, nurture, and basic support is important for children to grow, develop, and thrive. They don’t think organized activities are as important to develop their skills and talents. They also have more free time and are more connected with their family than middle class children are. Calarco’s article discusses how parents transmit culture to children which created stratified profits. Working class parents use the “no-excuses” strategy of problem solving, so if their children are struggling, they usually don’t communicate and seek out for support. They are taught to just try their best on their own and respect the teachers’ authority by not asking for help. Middle class parents however stressed “by-any-means” problem solving. They encourage their children to always seek out for support and assistance whenever they struggle. Middle class children are more likely to gain confidence and a sense of entitlement which can lead to better outcomes in school in the future while working class children learn that they must work hard to succeed and adopt a logic of constraint.
In the video, Lareau discusses how we live in an unequal society and that families matter and are big predictors of children’s outcomes because of different health, income, education, etc. Her study talks about class differences in family life and the different life experiences children have based on these class differences and how their parents raise them. Lareau studied many White and Black parents and their children from different social classes Middle class children are more likely to do better in life outcomes because their parents intervene in their schooling and invest in their life skills through organized activities that are valued by schools and jobs, whereas poor and working class children don’t have this type of structure with organized activities so they’re not being invested in and do not gain the same skills as middle class children do. However, they do have more autonomy and freedom, and are more likely to be closer to their extended families. Also, middle class children tend to whine, talk back to their parents, negotiate, and reason whereas working class children are ordered by their parents and are disciplined more so they don’t talk back. Middle class parents are usually educated and their children are more likely to go to college while working class parents are usually high school dropouts so their children are less likely to further their education. Lareau saw these outcomes when she visited the families she studied a decade later. She claims that the working class children are able to succeed but there are some barriers besides money that make it hard for this to happen such as cultural knowledge and information that is a powerful tool in American society and for accomplishing the American dream.
If the poor and working class families’ resources equaled those of middle-class families, I believe their cultural logic of child-rearing will shift in a certain way. They will gain the time, money, and resources to invest in their child and provide them with activities such as sports, music, education, etc. to expand their cognitive and social skills. I believe that working class families lack of investing in their children with these organized activities is truly due to the lack of money, time, and resources. Working class parents usually work long hours with little pay and barely make ends meet sometimes so they believe that as long as they are providing shelter, food, and love, then that’s all that matters. They simply don’t have extra money or time for fostering their children’s talents and skills. Maybe they will still keep some cultural aspects of child-rearing such as keeping in touch with kin and using authoritarian styles of discipline such as physical punishment and expecting obedience when ordered. They may also invest in organized activities, but not so much as the way middle class families already do. Their original belief of accomplishment of natural growth might still be their priority and with the extra money they have, they will invest in their children’s skills in a moderate way.
I believe that social economic inequalities and different child-rearing practices play a role with children currently being homeschooled due to the pandemic. Middle class families are more likely to invest in tutors to help their children with their online classes, homework, and assignments since they have the money to do so. They can also afford child care and programs that can further assist these children. Some parents may invest time to help their children themselves. They have the resources to provide educational support for their children since the pandemic has closed schools. They can provide for their children a structured schedule for learning and activities at home. On the other hand, working class families don’t have time or money to help their children with their education. They also are usually unable to afford child care if they are working full time. Lower class children may experience education loss during the time schools are closed because they’re barely receiving support while they’re remote. This will have long-lasting consequences and will negatively influence their learning that is critical for cognitive and social development. Also, remote learning is definitely not the same and as effective as in-person learning since it is much more interactive and on-hands, so middle class children may receive more educational support at home to make up for this. This will also lead to middle class children being a step ahead from lower class children and increase their educational outcomes and are more likely to succeed in school. This is how social class can very much influence educational outcomes and may explain the achievement gap between the upper class and lower class children.
1) The PowerPoint presentation is very clear. It was interesting to see how the findings in both papers were related. Lareau’s paper found that middle class parents intervene in institutions in behalf of their children while working class parents don’t and depend on those institutions to do the best job possible. This is exactly what Calarco talks about when she middle class parents had a by-any-means problem solving behavior in which they the intervened at schools in behalf of their children, while working class parents had a no-excuses problem-solving behavior. It was interesting that Calarco suggests that middle class parents are teaching entitlement, and it made me think of these videos that always go viral of “Karens.” A by-any-means behavior can also lead to that kind of entitlement, where a person think that institutions have to whatever is best for them individually, however irrational that may be, such as these videos we’ve seen of people refusing to wear masks inside businesses because it “violates their rights.”
2) All the concepts form the readings are clear. It was really interesting to see the childrearing models of parents by social class and identifying how it was similar to the way in which I was raised as well. I could very much relate to the no-excuses problem solving behavior, where it was ultimately my responsibility if I missed any work or assignments at schools. My parents also did not intervene on my behalf, instead I was just supposed to do better next time. I was also not involved in any activities afterschool, unless they were programs provided by the school like ESL. This makes me wonder how much intervention by parents and a by-any-means behavior (from parents and later children) affects student achievement?
3) The video basically summarizes what Lareau’s paper found. She explains that middle class parents were very aggressive in intervening for their children and trying to find opportunities for their children. Meanwhile, working class parents turned responsibility on education to the schools, and very much relied on the schools to provide them with information and resources. Working class children also had important skills as a result, more autonomy, better interpersonal schools, but the middle class children had skills that were move valued by schools which resulted in advantages that other children did not have.
4) If the poor and working- class families’ resources were transformed overnight to match those of the middle class, I think some childrearing practices would change but not all. I believe that they would try to enroll their kids in more activities, afterschool programs and even find them tutors because they often don’t do this because they simply don’t have the resources to do this (whether that is money or time). Something that I think would not change, or at least it would take a long time to change, is their no-excuses problem solving behavior where they don’t intervene too much on behalf of their children and where the responsibility ultimately fall on the child because this is very likely the way in which they were raised themselves. I feel like it would be more likely to see the by-all-means problem solving behavior, or a hybrid of both approaches, in the next generation that has been raised with more resources than their parents were.
5) Socio economic inequalities will definitely play into the current situation of children being homeschooled. Just in the US, there are plenty of children who do not have computers or access to the internet which is necessary to attend online schools. Some of the responsibilities of the teacher now fall on the parents since children are attending online school, but working-class parents still don’t have the time to help out their children or the resources. Children of working-class parents and poor children also attend schools are not as well funded as the schools of the middle class and the rich, which means these schools will not have as many resources to make the transition to online schools easier. This is just in the US which is a very rich country, thinking how children in other countries are being affected by this is just saddening. Young children in my country are “going to school” by simply watching school on tv and in some countries the whole year has simply been suspended. I think the childrearing practices of the middle class families that was described in the two papers will probably result in their kids during better during these times. Not only do they have more time and resources, but they are better able to help their children and this by-any-means approach is probably incredibly useful now because if there was ever a time for parents to intervene on behalf of their parents is now when is up to parents more than ever that kids get stuff done and do well in schools. Working-class parents leave these things up to the institution as parents describe, but kids are now not physically attending the institutions which makes it harder for teachers to enforce certain things and to make sure that kids are understanding and doing well.
1. From my PowerPoint presentation, what still isn’t very clear? Any questions, thoughts or comments you would like to share?
The PowerPoint presentation was clear and concise, and easy to follow. It had provided a good review of the two readings and to see how both papers are related to each other. I found the differences in how middle-class families and working-class families had on their child’s development interesting. It had allowed me to reflect on my own childhood since I come from a working-class family. From personal experience, I would strongly agree that working-class families rely on a “no-excuses” approach and completely confide in a teacher’s intuition. However, as the eldest sibling, I apply the “by all means” approach to my younger sister. For instance, in elementary school, I would be very hesitant to ask for help and just deal with the consequences but now I encourage my sister to ask questions if she needs help in school. From my mistakes, I was allowed to draw on my personal experience and make sure my younger sister doesn’t have to internally struggle with her studies. A thought that crossed my mind is what outcome would appear for immigrant households? Immigrant households have further obstacles including a language barrier.
2. From the readings are all concepts and ideas clear?
Yes, the readings were lengthy but more straightforward and easier to understand than the previous readings. From the two readings, we are introduced to the “by all means” approach and the “no excuse” approach. Middle-class families rely on the “by all means” approach with their children and form a sense of entitlement. Working-class families rely on the “no excuse” approach, which can lead their children to feel ashamed to ask for help. Both middle-class families and working-class families do invest in human capital, but the middle-class families have the financial means to do so and more time to interact with their children. For instance, middle-class families have enough money to place their children in organized activities meanwhile working-class families have to seek free institutions for their child to develop skills or they would have more responsibilities at home. However, something that disturbed me is that in the latter study in 2014, the demographic only covered one race. I was wondering why that was the case if the earlier study had included more races other than white.
3. Summarize the main takeaways from the video.
The main takeaway from the video is that families play an influential role in a child’s outcome. Lareau discusses her study of investigating how working-class families, middle-class families, and poor families have raised their children and how it influences their development. Working-class families gave their children more autonomy in their free time and school life, in which they have more “real world” skills. However, middle-class families were very involved in their children’s life by enlisting them in organized activities, help them advance in language skills, and maintain communication with their teachers. Working-class families seem to fear and respect authority hence why their children are afraid to ask their teacher for help if they are in need, but middle-class families view themselves as equals with institutions due to their educational background and aren’t afraid to challenge them.
4. Answer the question I asked in the PowerPoint presentation: “If the poor and working-class families’ resources were transformed overnight so that they equaled those of the middle-class families, would their cultural logic of childrearing shift as well? Or, do you think, are there cultural attitudes and beliefs that are substantially independent of economic and social resources that are influencing parents’ practices here?”
Unfortunately, with the shift in resources was transformed overnight, their cultural logic of childrearing would not shift due to their cultural attitudes and beliefs. I think they would continue with the “no excuses” approach since cultural attitudes and beliefs cannot change overnight since they have grown accustomed to that approach for many years and so have the children. One has to take into account the parents’ educational background. The higher the educational level, the more understanding the parents are with their child. Perhaps over time, they can shift to the “by all means” approach and it would most likely apply to the future generation.
5. Think of the situation that we are currently living in, where abruptly billions of children and teenagers are being homeschooled. How do you think social-economic inequalities will play into this? How will different childrearing practices impact the experiences of these children during these unusual times? Do you think these will have long-lasting consequences?
In this situation we are living in, we see the financial and emotional burdens both the parents and children face. For working-class families, there is a struggle to obtain devices for all of their children since they have to attend school remotely. Also, having access to high-speed internet isn’t attainable for everyone. Furthermore, there are instances where children need help with classwork and homework, but their parents may not have the time or may not know how to help their child. Teacher supervision is essential for the increase of a child’s educational level but now it seems unlikely to happen since teachers cannot see whether a student is understanding the material or not. It’s easy for a student to lose concentration remotely especially since order is no longer established into their routine and it can lead to burnout.
From my PowerPoint presentation, what still isn’t very clear? Any questions, thoughts, or comments you would like to share? From the PowerPoint presentation, I found this to be a bit lengthy but rather understandable and clear in a way. I found this presentation to be elaborate when explaining and breaking down both readings.
From the readings are all concepts and ideas clear? The readings “Invisible Inequality: Social Class and Childrearing in Black Families and White Families” and Coached for the Classroom: Parents’ Cultural Transmission and Children’s Reproduction of Educational Inequalities” both helped me understand the prime differences and examples that existed between groups of families of different demographics. I definitely saw an impact on how different social classes had impacts on children’s behaviors in and out of school.
Summarize the main takeaways from the video. Some of the main takeaways from the video illustrate observations breaking down families of different classes on how parents raise their children. What stood out to me was how lower-class families would have children who did not talk back unlike middle-class families who were more abruption and would talk back to parents. Middle-class kids learned to be more organized because of the programs they had Opportunities to. This video compared kids behaviors of different classes throughout years.
Answer the question I asked in the PowerPoint presentation: “If the poor and working-class families’ resources were transformed overnight so that they equaled those of the middle-class families, would their cultural logic of childrearing shift as well? Or, do you think, are there cultural attitudes and beliefs that are substantially independent of economic and social resources that are influencing parents’ practices here?” If the poor and working class families resources were transformed overnight, I don’t think cultural logic of childrearing would change overnight. I think there would be an entirely different teaching system for how parents raise their kids given the opportunity. I think the longevity and the inequalities that previously existed would maintain the same teaching culture.
Think of the situation that we are currently living in, where abruptly billions of children and teenagers are being homeschooled. How do you think social-economic inequalities will play into this? How will different childrearing practices impact the experiences of these children during these unusual times? Do you think these will have long-lasting consequences? I think social economic inequalities in the pandemic show how the differences between classes. Tons of people do not have access computers and internet which literally makes attending school impossible. Of course these will have long lasting consequences because for the students who are at a disadvantage will have a hard time learning content.
1. So the PowerPoint Presentation was clear I didn’t have any questions about the PowerPoint it was basically an explanation of the readings as wells as what they both found as a result.
2. From the readings I think it was very interesting how Lareau was able to find that class position affects family life. Which I do agree with because I am from a middle-class and working-class family. In the sense that yes my mother was educated had a college degree and was well versed, but she worked for everything she has now and raised my sister and me to work hard as well in school and just in general. growing up it was hard financially because there was barely enough money to live by because of the financial strain it causes a parent especially if they are a single parent, which was my case. My mom actually did a lot of things that Lareau and Calarco discovered in their research. Such as having the basic support, food, shelter, and emotional comfort, as well as making education the key to being well established and versed in society. I thank her for what she provided for me because I was blessed but I never knew how lucky I was until I myself met people who struggled more than me. With Calarco, I also agreed with his main findings that working-class parents stressed the “no excuses”, which ironically my mother did growing up, we had to take responsibility for our actions, figuring our own homework out, etc. She taught me how to self-sufficient at a very young age. To always go to a teacher for extra help no matter what especially if I’m struggling in a subject. Both of them had very good points and I do agree with what they both said because in many cases it is true.
3. The main takeaways from the video were that we live in an unequal society and that family will always be very important. That every family is different because of their health, race, religion, education, etc. They all loved their children but the way they wanted to raise them was different between families that were interviewed. Working-class families gave clear directives to their children, trade for the child to backtalk to the parent, and that the child was always respectful of parental authority. But with middle-class families, the child would end up challenging the parental authority, by protesting, whining, and badgering their parents so they can get what they want. Middle-class parents were aggressive in intervening with schools and their child’s education. And that the child would be busy with activities conducted by their parents, such as sports, Sunday school, etc. Working-class children had more free time to play, nicer to their siblings, and more family responsibility. The benefit of middle-class children was that they were able to follow rules, organize time, negotiate and use proper language when speaking to someone. Which is valued in schools and jobs, they had advantages that working-class children did not have. 10 years later, middle-class children attended college while working-class children half would go to college, and the other half went towards a downward staircase where sometimes these children didn’t take the SATs or even apply themselves in school.
4. I think if the working class and poor families were equal to middle-class families, I believe that culturally they would stay the same because regardless of the economic change, culture is different for every family. That no matter what parents will raise their kids the same way they were raised, perhaps more severe than others but will still parent their kids the way they believe is best for their child. Cultural attitudes and beliefs are substantially independent of ecumenic and social resources that are influencing parents’ practices, in that being middle class will only help the parents by pushing their kids to be the best they can be or even have the parent live their dream through their child.
5. Growing up I had family friends that were homeschooled when they were little, but as they got older they started to attend public school. What I noticed a lot about those family friends was that they had weird personality characteristics about themselves. For example, they were awkward, didn’t really understand how socializing with other kids in school is difficult, being bullied, dealing with teachers, jokes, trends, etc. It was as if they were in their own social bubble that was their family bubble. Once they entered public school after they moved. They did a whole 180 in their personalities, they started to become the “popular kids” and tried to fit in with the cool crowd, and ended up losing the friendships they had before go to public school. The social-economic inequalities for homeschooled kids are more affordable because of the lack of transportation as well as school supply shopping and new clothes. They only really needed the books for the subjects they’re being taught. Now if we are talking about COVID homeschooling I think it’s in a way beneficial but it can be difficult If the family can afford a babysitter, laptop, or even internet. That these things are expensive that since the parent has to work, and their child goes to school at home, kids get distracted easily because they are in the comfort of their own home. For example, my previous roommate was a teacher and when my cat was out he would go on her laptop and interrupt the class. Which made it hard for my roommate to grab their attention back because my cat is the cutest thing in the world and animals are so sweet. It’s life-changing because in many cases a lot of kids miss their school dances, social activities such as sports, and hanging out with their friends. So yes, homeschooling does affect the child and the parent’s lifestyle.
1. From my PowerPoint presentation, what still isn’t very clear? Any questions, thoughts, or comments you would like to share?
The PowerPoint presentation was extremely clear. It explained bot studies clearly and highlighted the main takeaways and observations.
2. From the readings, are all concepts and ideas clear?
Both readings were clear and easy to understand. I had read “invisible inequalities” for a previous class before, so this was refreshing for my memory. Although I am familiar with the study, it is still surprising how little Race played on the day-to-day life of students. However, I would like to see the lives of families and students of different races and in the same social class—the resources and inequalities in that sense.
The second reading on only social class took me by surprise, and I was not surprised at the same time. Middle-class parents encouraged their students to rely on their teachers for help and improve themselves, while working-class parents taught their children the opposite. It is not a surprise to see fewer children of the working-class making progress compared to middle-class students.
3. Summarize the main takeaways from the video.
Lareau talks about the study she did on Race and social class. She did an ethnography with 88 families and 12 observations. She observed children’s daily lives in their day-to-day activities from different social classes to see how Race affects their lives. Although Race was not a big issue, Social class played a significant role in how progressive the children were in their lives. After several years, the aftermath or the check-in did not surprise her because more middle-class students attended colleges while working-class students could not participate in college. She points out that because of the “functionality Illiterate” of parents, the children cannot mobilize in the social ladder.
4. Answer the question I asked in the PowerPoint presentation: “If the poor and working-class families’ resources were transformed overnight so that they equaled those of the middle-class families, would their cultural logic of childrearing shift as well? Or, do you think, are there cultural attitudes and beliefs that are substantially independent of economic and social resources that are influencing parents’ practices here?”
I believe the question emphasized working-class people were rich in money overnight. Hence I believe the childbearing methods will not change drastically. Although they are rich in resources to help their families, the parents are not literate to help their children reach the same level as the middle-class students. Parents can, of course, help their children by enrolling in the min extracurricular activities or other extra classes to develop their skills. However, the parents should be educated and informed about these programs and are available for their children.
5. Please think of the situation that we are currently living in, where abruptly billions of children and teenagers are being homeschooled. How do you think social-economic inequalities will play into this? How will different childrearing practices impact the experiences of these children during these unusual times? Do you think these will have long-lasting consequences?
I believe working-class families will suffer more than middle-class students just because parents of working-class families are mostly only high school graduated parents. In contrast, primarily middle-class families have four-year college degrees. From the readings, we see how different the parents are involved in their children’s education and life in general. Working-class parents believe it is teachers’ responsibility to know how to help the students. They cannot help their children because if their education level, with these issues, they would not like how to assist their children with school courses that require to complete from home, in these circumstances, the teachers are not with the students to help them directly. So without the communication both parents and the student need to establish, many working-class students will have a hard time when it comes to education. I genuinely do not know to what extent these will impact students’ lives from different social dynamics.