Lecture 9: Family

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Lecture 9 Family Child Development

• Module Developmental Psychology (4PS014)
• Date 11 April 2008
• Lecturer Dr Lovemore Nyatanga

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Learning outcomes

• At the end of the session students will be able
  to
• Discuss the meaning of family
• Discuss the function of families in different
  contexts
• Discuss family dynamics in relation to child
  development
• Parenting styles child development

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What is family

• Persons sharing a common ancestry
• Persons with a common lineage (or genealogy)
• A fundamental social group normally consisting
  one or two parents with one or more children

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Nature of families

• Family is a social construction that differs with
  culture (e.g. Nuclear Extended family).

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Role Function

• Family rearing as a social function
• Providing for children ensuring their
  well-being
• Nurture develop social economic skills
  necessary in adult life
• Follow cultural social memes that are part of
  cultural identity

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Family Dynamics

• According to Siegler, Deloache Eisenberg
  (2007), family dynamics denote the interactions
  factors within them.
• How family members affect one another
• How family dynamics may influence child
  development (e.g. emotional intelligence)

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Factors Affecting Family Dynamics
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Parenting Styles

• The primary role of parenting is to socialise,
  teach, control the child.
• Two elements are central
• Parental demandingness (or behavioural control)
  denotes various attempts parents make to
  integrate the child into the family.
• Parental demandingness can be positive,
  supportive and motivating.
• Parental demandingness can also be negative
  punitive full of confrontational.

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Parenting Styles

• Two elements are central
• Parental responsiveness (or warmth
  sensitivity), denotes parental attempts to foster
  individuality, self-regulation, and
  dependability.
• Parental responsiveness requires the parent to be
  attuned, supportive, and acquiescent to
  childrens special needs and demands (Baumrind
  1991)

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Parenting Styles (Maccoby Martin 1983)
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Parenting Styles

• ps

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Parenting Styles
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Possible Developmental Consequences
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Questionable parental tactics
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Summary

• Family as fundamental social group of kinships
• Family has role and function as perceived within
  specific cultures
• Each family has dynamics that represent
  interactions
• A number of factors influence family dynamics
  (e.g. health well-being)
• Parenting styles influence behaviour (child to
  adulthood)
• Consequences of poor parenting style can have
  negative effect in later life.

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Recommended reading

• Baumrind, D. (1991). The influence of parenting
  style on adolescent competence and substance use.
  Journal of Early Adolescence, 11(1), 56-95.
• Maccoby, E. E., Martin, J. A. (1983).
  Socialization in the context of the family
  Parentchild interaction. In P. H. Mussen (Ed.)
  E. M. Hetherington (Vol. Ed.), Handbook of child
  psychology Vol. 4. Socialization, personality,
  and social development (4th ed., pp. 1-101). New
  York Wiley.
• Santrock, J. (2002) Lifespan Development
  (International Edition). McGraw Hill London
• Siegler, R., Deloache, J. Eisenberg, N. (2006)
  How children develop 2nd edition. Worth
  Publishers London, chapter 12 (module textbook)