Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, And Family Life
‘Unequal childhoods: class, race, and family life’, by Lareau (2003) is a well crafted narration, related to the issues of class, race and family life. The perception of the author has been depicted here with a close analytical speculation. America is definitely a land for developments and scopes. Anyone can attain success and achievements with proper persuasion of his skills. These achievements are attained irrespective of being from any race, class or family. On the contrary the narration also challenges the actual and wide perception of most of the Americans, in terms of being defined as a “the land of opportunity.” Many people come into this and to have a better lifestyle, but n the due course face innumerable problems related to their identity. Being pressurized under diasporic entity many people struggle in this “the land of opportunity.” These struggles are actually all due to the structure through which they achieved their adulthood. It all lies in managing a better childhood with positive approaches, so that there remains no room for frustration.
The purpose of this particular narration is to look into the aspects of dealing with children to deal with the competitive environment of society. Different kinds of backgrounds and social status come up with varied kinds of child rearing formulations. These are the basic and foundational aspects that actually transform the child in an adult.
In this particular narration Lareau deals with varied kinds of child-rearing practices followed within the social classes. Her aspirations and positive approaches specify the ways in which small children develop their thinking capabilities. These are the means that were the determining factors for conducting themselves on the grounds of larger world as they turn up adopt in the ground of opportunity. Lareau dealt with every declaration of her with enough support from richly detailed and analyzed case studies. She identifies all kinds of behaviors and also compares these with the associated means of their personality and psychology. By means of “concerted cultivation” the author focuses over the typical of middle-class form of parenting. These are specified by means of instances delivered through after-school programs. The application of features of “accomplishment of natural growth,” the author classifies between parenting style specified through harried working-class as well as the poor parents. The comparison between the rearing of a middle class child poor child has been considered as the core concern of this book. The author declares that a middle class child gets the option to enhance his skills by adopting proper training for enriching his activities. Parents from middle-class background put their children in good school, with the scopes to develop athletics and all kinds of activities. They get the exposure to face social conflicts and face varied social situations. These attempts put the child under the pressure of over scheduling and sometimes severe stress, but at the same time this again is a structure that they need to adopt to meet the competitiveness of society.
On the contrary the book also deals with the children rearing process adopted by the working-class parents. In these families the children do not get the scope to be in a soccer team or get a ride on a horseback. However these aspirations help them realize and they learn to entertain their feelings with the family. This is the means that further enhances their family ties. The children from this group understand the importance of every competition that persists, but they also learn the importance of valuing their family and compromises with themselves from a very tender age. Eventually they grow stronger on psychological domain. The author is very successful in presenting deep insights about achieving social stratification under the influence of family life. Lareau is very analytical in describing the process of growth among children and the influence of childhood activities on them as an adult. She elaborates profound implications for the purpose of understanding inequality and the ground for daily battle that actually persists.
On personal ground I can reflect many incidents on my childhood in my attitude and mental status of being an adult. There were scopes to develop a child into a better human being. This has been realized in me when I make some fair decisions without anybody’s influence. There are some instinctive activities that identify me in the society and these instinctive features were developed in my childhood. I can say this as I can relate these instinctive features in me with some childhood incidents that influenced me to the core.
Conclusion
The levels of competitiveness are increasing in America and to be a successful person, one need to cope up with his mental and social structure. This is something that is the basic matter of concern in the growth of child. If a child understands the value of family at a younger age then he gets enough support as an adult in the society. Expertise collected to deal with any kind of situation is what the future demands and to be there a child must undergo some balanced experiences in his childhood. With proper mental support in the childhood a child can prepare himself to meet the hurdles of the future. The perception of Lareau about the means of rearing a child to meet the future with more preparedness is a mind opener. It can well instruct every parent the ways they can motivate and restructure the child for a more peaceful life ahead.
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