The specialist functions performed by the family, according to Parsons, include primary socialisation. By primary socialisation Parsons meant that parents teach children society’s norms and values. Whilst Marxists would agree with functionalists that the family performs a key function in socialising children, they disagree about whose values children are socialised into. Marxists believe that the family is controlled by the ruling class, who use it and other institutions to control people’s ideas and values. In this way, children are socialised into values which benefit capitalism, such as acceptance of hierarchy and inequality, not the ‘universal’ values of society as functionalists believe.
According to Chua, Chinese parents do not only set strict rules and regulations that their children have to abide by, but they also use negative reinforcement when their children do not want to obey their orders. In contrast, western parents believe that it is unnecessary to control their children preferences such as, no watching T.V, studying excessively and only participating in extracurricular activities that they are assigned to be successful throughout life. However, Chua claims that the children brought up by the “Chinese mother” style of parenting still turn out not only to be mentally, physically, and emotionally stable but happy and as well as successful later on in life. Chua says she knows this because the “Chinese mother” methods help her raise two successful kids. She gives a list of things that her children were not allowed to do, which consist of them not taking part in any school plays or getting any grades less than an A and that it all paid off for her in the end.
Cultural deprivation theorists would blame this on the lack of parental guidence and encouragment to succeed in education. This could of been developed from the results of an experiment A famous experiment was one carried out by Willis Douglas. He claimed that parental interest was the most important factor; he claimed that middle class parents had higher expectations than working class parents and they attatched higher values. Along with providing more support for their children. This was seen to increase
Childhood Importance James Bernard Murphy, a professor of government at Dartmouth College and Author of “In Defense of Being a Kid”, emphasizes the importance of innocence and enjoyment of childhood years. This underlined the question, are children’s childhood adventures and care-free life more important than the preparation of our children’s future by the work of us parents? I’m sure all of us can debate this question. Murphy argues with Amy Chua, Author of “Why Mothers Are Superior” that children should enjoy their years as a child. Chua (a Chinese mother) feels differently, moral and culturally.
Sometimes, an individual may be required to fulfil a role not through choice, but rather one that is determined by the individual’s links with one’s cultural background. For example, individuals stemming from Chinese backgrounds are often portrayed by the media as being required to be academically excellent by their parents. It is fair to assume that not all Chinese children choose to live out this role, as Vanessa Woods indicates in “Perfect Chinese Children”. Wood’s identity has been forged soon after birth by her underpinning Chinese heritage. It could be inferred that such harsh expectations on Woods has stifled the growth of her identity, because she was forbidden to fulfill her ambitions of becoming a writer, and instead was almost coerced into succeeding academically and making her mother proud.
Considered by most to be the backbone of America, it is how we socially and culturally indoctrinate our offspring so they are able to become a functional member of society. A lack of a full family is often cited as the reason that children end up as criminals or delinquents. The notion of family being the birthplace of problems is not even something most people could find feasible, which is what makes Barbara Ehrenreicht's essay "Are Families Dangerous?" seem a bit out in left field to most readers. But upon closer inspection and reflection into ones own family life, and the lives of those around them, Ehrenreicht's essay begins to make a lot more sense.
Another Asian culture is that young adults have responsibility for taking care of elders. Education is also important for Asian family. Asian parents always push their children very hard and force them to get very high scored on their education because they want their children to be “perfect”. Asian parents believe that high education can get a much better life and job. Asian parenting might look pushy and pressuring to Western eyes, but that is what Asian-American children say their parents’ guidance is warm and love.
Family Dynamics (Comparative Essay) Parents raise their children to either live vicariously through them or want to have them follow their own path in life. The stories "The Charmer" by Budge Wilson and "Brother Dear" by Bernice Friesen, show both ways of parenting which influences the children to go against them. Both stories show that each set of parents display conflict with their children. Although one story focuses on how parenting is not hard enough and influences the children negatively, the other story displays how the parenting is too hard and it also affects the children negatively. Each story shows sibling rivalry because of the parenting style and there is sibling rivalry because the brothers in the stories get all the attention and
Chinese parents believe that corporal punishment is an effective way in teaching younger generation. Only after being punished for wrongdoings can a child grow up in the proper way. They seldom listen to their children’s thoughts because in their opinion a child is too young to suggest. The adults usually have the stereotype that what children say are just some useless foolish fragments of sentences which not even make sense. Children are asked to do what they are told.
with their emphasis on nurturing their children's self-esteem and allowing free expression, have set their children up to accept mediocrity. "Western parents are concerned about their children's psyches. Chinese parents aren't. They assume strength, not fragility, and as a result they behave very differently," she says. If their child doesn't achieve perfect exam results, the Chinese parent assumes it's because he or she didn't work hard enough.