LECTURE EXTENSION Disciplinary Practices Among African-American Parents (p. 398)
The disciplinary practices of African-American parents has frequently been criticized for being more physical and punitive than those of European-American parents. As a result, many African-American parents have endured the humiliation of being referred to child welfare agencies that typically promote a European child-rearing standard. In addition, most of the available research on parenting practices compares African-American disciplinary styles with European styles (often considered "the norm" in these studies), which raises concern about cultural bias. In order to explore the disciplinary methods of African-American parents and the context of disciplinary episodes, Bradley (1998) recruited 121 African-American parents for a child-rearing study. Each participant completed a self-report questionnaire containing nine hypothetical parenting scenarios, accompanied by a rating scale of the severity of the misconduct (mild, moderate, and severe). The questionnaire also contained 13 disciplinary methods, which were rank-ordered according to the level of severity (discuss matter, ignore child, promise reward, give a warning look, yell at child, order child not to, give extra work, send to another room, withdraw privileges, spank with open hand, spank with switch, whip with a belt, and slap child on the face). Participants were asked to select which disciplinary method would be appropriate for each of the nine scenarios. Finally, each participant was asked to report the frequency with which they used each disciplinary method. The results of this study revealed that most of the parents preferred to use nonphysical methods of punishment, particularly "discuss matter" and "order child not to." Findings also indicated that the parents in this sample only used physical punishment in severe contextual situations, mostly when parental authority had been challenged. The author suggests that African-American parenting practices are often employed in order to prepare African-American youth for success in a sometimes hostile, racist, and discriminatory society. For instance, demanding compliance by ordering children not to do something may protect them from harsh reactions from police and other law enforcement officials. Likewise, demanding respect from parents and other authority figures may help prepare African-American children to contend with the social and employment barriers imposed by a racist society. Thus, African-American parenting styles reflect unique environmental constraints and experiences. Instead of condemning these practices for deviating from the European-American norm, Bradley (1998) encourages counselors to engage in open-ended dialogue with African-American parents about their disciplinary practices, including the context for various forms of discipline. Counselors should also examine their own attitudes and beliefs about discipline. The goal of counseling is not to embrace or eliminate a particular parenting style; rather, it is to establish rapport within the family and restore or improve family functioning. Bradley, C. R. (1998). Child-rearing in African American families: A study of the disciplinary practices of African American parents. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 26, 273-281. LEARNING ACTIVITY Interviewing Preschoolers to Assess Self-Concept (p. 367)
Ask students to interview a preschooler to find out about his or her self-concept. Students should ask a general question (for example, "Tell me about yourself") and follow up with more specific queries addressing the child's likes and dislikes, and what he or she is good at and not good at. (NOTE: The answers the preschoolers give may be quite personal. It is a good idea to discuss the questions beforehand with the children's parents.) Students should take detailed notes on the responses of the children. Did the children describe themselves using observable descriptors (such as, name, physical appearance, everyday behaviors), or did they also use psychological characteristics (such as, beliefs, emotions, attitudes)?
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