Changing expectations of parents

1
Changing expectations of parents

• 1800s parents responsible for physical needs
  and moral development
• 1920s 1930s medicalisation of child rearing
  (Truby King, Dr Spock)
• 1960s - John Bowlby maternal deprivation. Good
  and bad mothers.
• Late 1970s parents responsible for all aspects
  of childrens development. Indulge the child

2
Good, or good enough, parenting

• What makes someone a good parent?
• Who defines this?
• Are there some people who simply should not be
  parents?
• Is it more useful to talk about good parents, or
  good enough parents.

3
Issues for human service workers

• How do you establish the parents of a child in a
  practice setting?
• Conflicts between legal and social definitions of
  parenthood.
• Practice settings may include working with people
  making decisions about relinquishing children,
  using reproductive technologies, resolving family
  conflict, telling children of their biological
  origins or children in care as a result of their
  parents actions

4
Summary

• Changes in our legal system as it relates to the
  definition rights/responsibilities of parents
• Enormous changes in our expectations of parents
  over the past 200 years
• Complexities social issues associated with
  defining parenthood
• Issues for human service workers