Authoritarian Parenting Style

The emerging sense of entitlement is described as a possible result of the concerted cultivation approach that displays itself as a questioning of authority and participation in assertive, informed interactions with professionals (authority) from a young age (Camelot, Invisible Inequality, Pg. 47). Determined to not become like her mother, Laurie took the best of what she learned from her mother and added her own twist when it came to parenting her own children.

Growing up my mother reasoned with me, asking probing questions when I had done wrong versus immediate punishment in efforts to establish trust. She encouraged autonomy and allowed me to express my feelings; this parenting style is called authoritative (Camelot, Playing Field Family

Winsome was rarely physically punished and neither was my mother. However, as mentioned before my father was the outlier in the equation of my upbringing. His working-lower class socialization over-ruled my mother’s upper class upbringing. My father was alcoholic and diagnosed with bipolar disorder and we were subjected to the same physical and emotional abuse he observed growing up. He chose to go unmedicated and drank as a way to cope with his mental illness. Families in which alcoholism or other substance abuse is present have higher rates of family violence (Camelot, Family Violence). Staying true to classic authoritarian parenting style, he often used the phrase “I’m the parent, you are child. Dont question me”. He required unquestionable obedience from his children and achieved this by instilling fear. Viewing domestic violence as a child causes social learning and is likely to result in being in a domestic violence relationship in adulthood (Camelot, Family Violence). By the age of twenty-five I had somehow found myself in my second long term relationship with an active addict/abuser; another example of symbolic interactionism. My sister has not experienced physical abuse within her own family of procreation but her husband shows signs of alcohol dependency. As a Pastor and leader in the community my mother hid what was going on at home and taught us to be the best actors always reminding us that we had a reputation to uphold as members of our family. She turned a blind eye and tried to discuss and love her way through to us after our father’s beatings. We were the prime example of the front stage family. Our family ministry provides aid to families living within the economic margin just as we did and ironically one of the main organizations we partner with is a shelter for abused single mothers. We were forced to get help as a family thanks to a family crisis and now we no longer have