Analysis Of Unequal Childhoods

Yes, when thinking about social classes in the Unites States, it is easier to gravitate towards the differences among them. However, through reading about the different families in Unequal Childhoods, there are similarities across social classes. One of the similarities among the middle, working, and poor class is the “absent” of parental involvement. Now, this also depends on how the reader views the situation. For the poor class or working class families, such as Katie Brindle and Tyrec Taylor, their parents left them alone to play on their own. Katie Brindle is a White girl who comes from a poor class family. Tyrec Taylor is a Black boy and is part of working class. Lareau observes, “Most working-class and poor parents did not consider children’s

She gave one to her mother and Ms. Brindle did not comment of Katie’s creativity. She also refused to participate with Katie in making a dollhouse out of more cardboard boxes. Tyrec Taylor also participates in informal play. Taylor would hang out at home, watch television or play video games, or head out to hang out with other people in the neighborhood. His play was very spontaneous, no plans necessary. Tyler did not need his mom to arrange for to participate in wide array of activities to fill his time. He even participated in football, but decided not to continue because he enjoyed his time being with his friends. The theme in working and poor class parents is that they are not as attentive to their kids as middle class parents are. However, this does not mean that they do not love their kids. It is just a different approach to development. This ties back into the major concept Lareau: concerted cultivation or natural growth. Working and poor class parents adopt a “let kids be kids” mentality and do not intervene as much. Middle class parents are very involved in their kids’ lives by enrolling them in various activities, but because of hectic schedules they to do not have a great deal of down time to spend together as a