Unequal Childhood Research Paper

Thanks to my college professor, I was given the opportunity to read your book,
Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life. I am writing to express my appreciation to you and your assistants for your extensive research and your dedication in determining the lasting effects of unequal childhoods. I feel that this research project was important to answer the question of how unequal childhoods affect a child’s future. Your methodology was thorough and unique. You and your assistants not only interviewed children and their families, but also immersed yourselves in their family and social lives. Your research in examining how middle class, working class and poor families raise their children was very detailed and informative. Every chapter had interesting examples of how the differences affected the child or children involved. You demonstrated in the book how the inequalities between middle class, working class and poor families are extremely detrimental for children of the poor and working class families. In most cases, nurture involving economics and involved parents, overrides nature when raising children to become successful adults. You asked and answered the question – Does social class make a difference in a child
achieving a successful life outcome? You explained how middle class parents utilize a process of “concerted cultivation” (p. 238), which attempts to encourage their children’s educational, social and athletic skills; whereas, working class and poor parents rely on “the accomplishment of natural growth” (p.238), which gives the children almost total control over their free time while their parents are concerned mainly with food and housing due to limited financial resources and time constraints.
After reading the first chapter, I knew this book would be an interesting read since I was raised in both classes of families. For eight years, I was nurtured by emotionally involved parents of middle income. I attended private pre-schools, participated in cheerleading and took ballet lessons for several years. My parents took me to movies and plays, purchased mainly educational toys, and supervised my school homework. However, my parents divorced and my lifestyle abruptly changed. Other than every other weekend visits, my father was really out of the picture. My baby sister and I lived with our mother who became a financially stressed single mom. Therefore, I can certainly identify with the children of both working class and middle class families studied in your research. When there is no extra money for extra-curricular activities and your mom is preparing dinner, washing clothes after working all day, and taking care of a baby, there is not much time or energy for helping a child with difficult math homework. Fortunately, we had extended family who stepped in to help with tutoring, transportation, music lessons, etc. Now I am approaching graduation from college this spring, and I can look back in appreciation for my involved family members who valued my education and taught me the skills I needed to succeed. I learned from your book that this is what middle class families do – talk to and reason with their children, stay involved with their education, and provide social and/or athletic activities to enhance their skills and talents. Middle class families have reasoned discussions with their children and listen to their views and opinions. Whereas, working class and poor families mainly give directions to their children, and expect little backtalk, whining or negotiation. Your research demonstrated how children of working class and poor families seldom argue with their parents.
Middle class families feel sporting activities teach children teamwork and getting along with others, as well as learning to handle wins and losses. With few exceptions children of working class and poor parents do not participate in organized, often expensive, extra-curricular activities. It was disheartening to learn from your book that children of middle class families spent more time with adults than poor children who were usually left on their own a great deal of the time. I understand now why middle class children who are accustomed to parents, coaches and other adults supervising their activities learn to expect and appreciate adult attention, rather than fear such attention as poor children feel. Just like middle class parents, working class and poor families are supportive of their children’s education, but teachers complain they are not assertive. However, unlike middle class parents, the working class and poor parents do not criticize or argue with a teacher. As you state in your book, poor parents see educators as superiors; middle class parents regard them as equals. The working class and poor parents usually defer to the teacher’s opinion and hold the teacher responsible for insuring their children learn. You explain that in some cases, these parents are fearful that school authorities might report them to Family Services to have their child removed from the home. I agree with your position concerning the American Dream.
Children do not have equal life chances. Your examination of the aspects of family life exhibited by the different social categories clearly proves the realities of an unequal childhood. As you state in your book, child development experts believe concerted cultivation is the most appropriate method of raising children. I also agree with your analysis that due to the downturn of the U.S. economy, the lack of good-paying jobs, and inadequate, unequal education, the standard of living for today’s children will be much lower than their parents. Certainly there are exceptions, but too many poor youths have no hope of securing good paying jobs and turn to drugs, gangs and
crime. As you suggest in your book, one solution would be for the government to grant a child allowance. Currently, there is a $1000 federal income tax credit per child, but it ends at age 16. Another solution you discussed were vouchers for private school and extracurricular activities. After reading your book, I fully understand how the bleak circumstances of working class and poor families negatively affect their children in all aspects of their childhood and most certainly will threaten their success as adults. I am very thankful for the opportunity I had to study your work.