Attachment Theory

This essay describe the importance and results of parents impact on their children's social development, which involves children learning values, knowledge and skills enabling them to relate to others effectively. Furthermore, describing the role of parents, what influences that role, parents as role models and how parents implement different parenting styles and their impact? As well as focusing on children's first relationships, attachments and how they relate to others as they develop towards adulthood.
The role of a parent is to care for a child's biological needs, provide safe environment, to protect and manage discipline however reality is these are not always met. The parent role is partially based on own experiences of childhood, relationship
Ainsworth observations, `the strange situation` procedure highlight emotional bond that connects mother/infant, she believed, much like Bowlby 1969(Farrington-Flint 2014 p 77) that responding sensitively and appropriately to the child’s requirement, such behaviour appears universal across cultures. Attachment theory provides an explanation of how the parent/child relationship materializes and influences development, this is supported by Psychologist Bowlby, Harlow, Lorenz theories of attachments. Bowlby also suggested a child forms one primary attachment initially, acting as a model for all future social relationships towards others, peers and personal relationships so disrupting it can have consequences. Whereas John Watson (Farrington-Flint 2014 p 133) proposed through the process of conditioning, explaining aspects of attachments though patterns of stimulus and reaction. The nature via nurture debate continues, and appears that a mixture of both enhances attachments. However the question remains can attachments if delayed be rebuilt over time of which it can but with some consequences as seen in The Open University (2014) ‘Feral children’ which focus on nature/nurture factors in cases such as feral children, Romanian orphans, highlighting extreme
` As this style is said to be most likely to produce happy, confident, capable, socially equipped child. Various reasons why parenting styles may vary may be due to differences in cultures, Childs’ personality, family size, parental background, socioeconomic status, educational level, and religion. Mothers/fathers may display different styles causing conflict and confusion to the child. .Parenting styles sometimes change due to the child attitude or behaviour especially progressing through different stages of development .It is not always the case that expected outcomes from parenting styles materialize and parents with authoritative styles may have children whom lack self-esteem or engage in delinquent behaviour. These are not set in stone, as other external factors such as peers, schooling, social media, Parent’s mental health, or other life problems influence a child's perception to socially