Tania Hoffman Rasmussen College

RUNNING HEADER: COURSE PROJECT – INTRODUCTION AND REFERENCES 1

COURSE PROJECT – INTRODUCTION AND REFERENCES 2

Paper Week 06

Course Project – Introduction and References

Tania Hoffman

Rasmussen College

Author Note

This paper is being submitted November 16, 2014 for Cari Beecham-Bautista, M.A. G142/SYG1000 Section 14 Introduction to Sociology.

Course Project – Introduction and References

We all want the best for our children and the children around us. The children in today’s society are the adults in tomorrow’s society. I have three children at home myself with a very supportive husband and family and friends around me. All three children have different attitudes and different behavioral issues that need addressing on a daily basis. You see the children out on the street, see the news and crimes happening all around us and don’t you wonder what is going on and why? Asking yourself, where are the parents!? I know I am guilty of just that.

Sociologists have become increasingly concerned with the ways in which families shaped children’s development and overall well-being. Sociologist’s examine the timing and duration of mothers’ poverty, single motherhood, welfare, employment, and kin coresidence through early and middle childhood. Child behavior problems are shaped by poverty and kin coresidence in early and middle childhood, and by parents use of physical punishment. Data was used on mothers and children from the NLSY, which showed strong demands of data, and provided strong tests of relationships.

A child’s behavior problems are a very important aspect of children development because it could be implicated in later adult outcomes. For example child temper tantrums could lead to later problems in life such as downward occupational mobility, erratic work lives, and divorce and separation (Caspi, Elder, and Bem 1987). Child development research find continuity between early behavior problems and later antisocial behavior (Olweus 1979; Loeber 1982), while criminological research finds continuity between behavior problems and later delinquency and crime (Farrington 1986; White et al. 1990). Such offenders in turn are more likely to suffer adult problems like joblessness, poverty, violence, and imprisonment (Nagin, Farrington, and Moffitt 1995; Farrington 1989; Hagan 1991).

Through the research in child psychology it has been determined that coercive or authoritarian control based upon force, threat, or physical punishment of children is ineffective in controlling and shaping children. What has been proved effective is inductive or authoritative control based upon reasoning, explaining, and understanding (Baumrind 1978; Boronfenbrenner 1979; Rollins and Thomas 1979).

Child development and parent child interactions have a large deal to do with social structure. For example this includes everything from parents working outside of the home which could impede parent-child interactions and increase problems. Then there is teenage motherhood and pregnancy which increases the risk of disadvantage for children. The more social interaction and greater resources available to children with quality interactions results in less problematic behavior.

With trust and the exchange of information, both biological parents being present, strong kinship networks, and parents involved in the community, this helps inhere structural relations. The more a parent invests with a child and developing emotional bonds, building strong norms with consistent, positive sanctions and providing support helps result in less problematic behavior.

References

L. Hao, R. L. Matsueda, 2000. Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences University of Washington. Family Dynamics Through Childhood: A Sibling Model of Behavior Problems.

Achenbach, T. M. and C. Edelbrock. 1981. Behavior Problems and Competencies Reported by Parents of Normal and Disturbed Children Aged Four Through Sixteen. Monographs of Society for Research in Child Development, serial No. 188, Vol. 46.

Caspi, Avshalom, G. H. Elder, Jr., and D. J. Bem. 1987. “Moving Against the World: Life-Course Patterns of Explosive Children.”Developmental Psychology 23: 308-13.

Olweus, D. 1979. “Stability of Aggressive Reaction Patterns in Males: A Review.” Psychological Bulletin 86: 852-875.

Loeber, R. 1982. “The Stability of Antisocial and Delinquent Child Behavior: A Review.” Psychological Bulletin 94:68-99.

Bronfenbrenner, U. 1979. The Ecology of Human Development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press

Nagin, D. S., D. P. Farrington, and T. E. Moffitt. 1995. “Life-Course Trajectories of 35 Different Types of Offenders.” Criminology 33:111-139.