Table of Contents
Introduction
Statement of the Problem
Today, children’s life satisfaction and depression are crucial to a child’s overall emotional development. Depressive symptoms are the most common emotional symptoms found in both children and adolescents. When analyzing a child’s emotional development and overall satisfaction with their lives, what impact does a certain parenting style play into this? Do different parenting styles have an impact on children and their quality of life? There has been research in the past conducted on different parenting styles but not across different cultures. Therefore, how does parenting styles and the cultural context impact the child’s overall life satisfaction? (Gherasim, Brumariu, & Alim, 2017).
Purpose of the Study
This study’s main purpose is centralized around evaluating how culture impacts parenting and how the different parenting styles impacts and child’s overall life satisfaction. There is a significant impact of life satisfaction and depressive symptoms on a child’s overall development. Therefore, this study wanted to increase their overall understanding of parenting styles related to them. The study explained that parenting style is broken down into two different components. The first component is acceptance and responsiveness, which concentrates on nurturing and the amount of positive reinforcement the child received from their parents.
The second component is demandingness which concentrates on the parent’s authority and disciplinary techniques they use to control a child’s behavior. The components are referred to as authoritarian and authoritative parenting. The study also wanted to determine if cultural differences and parenting styles impact to children’s life satisfaction and depression. The three cultures the study focused on were Romanian, Russian, and French. (Gherasim et al, 2017)
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Research Questions and Hypotheses
The research questions consist of the following: Is there a correlation between culture and parenting that impacts a child’s overall life satisfaction and depressive symptoms? Do these cultural differences negatively impact children’s ability to adjust? Gherasim’s 2017 study hypothesized the following:
that children from France would report higher authoritative parenting but lower authoritarian parenting compared to both their Romanian and Russian peers. We did not expect differences in the levels of life satisfaction or depressive symptoms between Romanian and Russian children, given their similar societal experiences. (pg. 1016)
Limitations
Limitations of this study consist of the following: small sample size, low internal consistency values, and the information for the study relied on children’s perspectives alone instead of a multiple information approach or observational methods. An additional limitation is the fact that this study was not a longitudinal design and it only took into account the children’s perspective. (Gherasim et al, 2017)
Methodology
Participants
According to Gherasim’s 2017 study the participants consisted of the following:
The sample included 325 children (178 girls) enrolled in urban public schools in France (n = 90, 50 girls), Romania (n = 123, 63 girls), and Russia (n = 112, 65 girls). Children from France were recruited from an urban area in the South region; the Romanian children were recruited from a city in the North-Eastern region, while the children from Russia were recruited from the Moscow metropolitan area. Invitation letters describing the study were distributed to families through schools, and families agreed their children to volunteer for the study. Children’s mean age was 10.07 years. There was no significant difference in gender distribution across samples. (pg. 1017)
Data Collection Procedures
The children in the study complete a survey, evaluating their parents on their parenting style and if they were experiencing any depressive symptoms. In this survey they also answered questions assessing their personal life satisfaction. This took place during their second semester of school.
Data Analysis Procedures
Children’s life satisfaction was measured with the Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale; this scale consisted of 31 questions with four main sections (family, friends, school, and self). The children completing the study utilize a 4-point scale to answer the questions. The overall life satisfaction was determined by adding up all answers. The children’s depressive symptoms were measured by the administration of the Children Depression Inventory. The scores from each assessment including all their subscale scores were imput into an ANOVA analysis. (Gherasim et al, 2017)
Results
Results regarding cultural differences in children’s perception of parenting style revealed that there were main effects of the cultural group on children’s perceived parenting style. French children reported lower levels of authoritative parenting style and higher level of authoritarian parenting style compare to Romanian and Russian participants. The study also revealed that Russian children had a higher life satisfaction score compared to Romanian and French participants. French children scored higher levels of depressive symptoms than did their Romanian and Russian peers. As for the parenting style and its influence on a children’s life satisfaction and depressive symptoms, results indicated a small but significant variance in children’s life satisfaction and depressive symptoms. They found that cultural differences and the way the child perceived their parents parenting style and overall life satisfaction and depressive symptoms were not significantly different amongst the three cultures: Romanian, Russian, and French children. (Gherasim et al, 2017)
Conclusions and Recommendations
This study was important for providing literature on children’s perceived parenting styles and their life satisfaction and overall depressive symptoms. The study revealed that children from Romania and Russia perceive their parents as more of an authoritative parenting style compared to the children from France. This study also indicated that it is important to consider perceived parenting experience to a child’s adjustment. The results demonstrate that the correlation between parenting and children’s life satisfaction and depressive symptoms are similar but nevertheless important across cultures.
In the future, it would be beneficial to have a larger sample size and include more than just the children on the questionnaire. For example, including teachers, peers, parents and compiling their perspectives and results into the analysis. It is important to realize the impact of parenting styles and cultural context on a child’s overall development. Therefore, it would be beneficial in the future to conduct a longitudinal study that would help to analyze all these factors overtime.
Reflection
The article, Parenting Style and Children’s Life Satisfaction and Depressive Symptoms: Preliminary Findings from Romania, France, and Russia was chosen in order to gain further knowledge of chapter 10, specifically regarding parenting styles. The different parenting styles that exist, specifically authoritative and authoritarian styles are similar names and before this assignment was written, were easily confused. According to Berger he defines the two parenting styles as the following:
Authoritative parents set limits, but they are flexible. They encourage maturity, but they usually listen and forgive (not punish) if the child falls short. They consider themselves guides, not authorities (unlike authoritarian parents) and not friends (unlike permissive parents). The authoritarian parent’s word is law, not to be questioned. Misconduct brings strict punishment, usually physical. Authoritarian parents set down clear rules and hold high standards. They do not expect children to offer opinions; discussion about emotions and expressions of affection are rare (p.273).
There is also permissive parenting which means that the parents do not discipline and often the child becomes the authority figure in the household. It was interesting to read in the research study conducted by Gherasim, Brumariu, & Alim that the French children reported a lower rate of authoritative parenting style and a higher rate of authoritarian. The French participants had a higher level of depressive symptoms. This is something to take note of. It is interesting to see how parenting styles can impact a child’s overall emotional development so greatly.
Reading this research article also recalled chapter 8 which discusses child abuse/neglect. Neglect is an additional parenting style but a harmful one. Unfortunately, today, neglect is the most common form of abuse/maltreatment in children. One of the warning signs of neglect or maltreatment is if the child is delayed. For example, delayed communication skills, or difficulty interacting with others appropriately, etc. When children are mistreated by their parents, it leaves a lasting impression on the child into adulthood. Depending on the mistreatment, it has the potential to make it difficult for the child to have successful romantic relationships in adulthood, low self-esteem, or lead to drug abuse. (Berger, 2017) There is power behind parenting styles. It is crucial to continue to research the impact of parenting on children’s emotional development. Education needs to be given to the public to help children and adults alike thrive in society.
References
- Berger, K. (2017), The Developing Person Through the Life Span, 10th edition. New York, NY: Worth.
- Gherasim, L., Brumariu, L., & Alim, C. (2017). Parenting Style and Children’s Life Satisfaction and Depressive Symptoms: Preliminary Findings from Romania, France, and Russia. Journal of Happiness Studies, 18(4), 1013–1028. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-016-9754-9
