Unequal Childhoods Case Study

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Childhoods are affected by the socio-economic class that created two distinct child-rearing approaches: converted cultivation and accomplishment of natural growth. In Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life, Annette Lareau participated in one of the earliest longitudinal study on the distinct influence of socio-economic class in the experience of a child’s life. Compared to the parents’ development of the accomplished of natural growth, converted cultivation is a new term that establishes an advantage for the entitled middle-class children than their working class and poor class counterparts in society. Both working class’ and poor class’ parents’ utilize the accomplishments of natural growth naturally approach. Most mothers repeatedly …show more content…

Prioritization in converted cultivation parents revolves around their children’s extracurricular activities. Unlike parents in the working-class and poor class, annual income and flexibility allow the access to a variety of activities in and outside of school. Garret Tallinger is a fourth grader who is involved in intercounty soccer team, a private soccer team, swim team, and piano lessons. Both of his parents have maintained resources to hiring a nanny, maintain multiple vehicles for transportation, and a stable finance to pay for each activity. Nevertheless, these youths develop an attachment to their parents to maintain and monitor their activities. In contrast, children like Katie Brindle in the other two lower social class evolve an early and strong autonomy through their own search initiatives. Of course, finances create these opportunities, but a majority of parents in the lower class believe that it is the children’s responsibility to find activities. Some may argue that this sense of entitlement creates irresponsible individuals. Yet, middle-class children are more likely to succeed because of their ability to balance and adapt to various organizations at a young age. Converted cultivation easily has advantages in the arrangement of ‘leisure time’ kids have outside academics and their language

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