Dominant Parenting Styles: Gender-Differentiated Parenting Revisited

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In lower-middle-class American families, the authoritative parenting style is the most dominant (Friedson, 2016). Authoritative parents impose high standards upon children and demand blind obedience. If a child misbehaves, they resort to punishment and omit explaining the reasoning behind their actions. Several reasons can explain the prevalence of this parenting style. Firstly, socioeconomically disadvantaged parents often experience high psychological and financial stress (Friedson, 2016). The feelings of distress directly translate to lesser empathy and warmth towards their offsprings. Secondly, the desire for obedience can arise from the need to cooperate to overcome financial challenges (Friedson, 2016). Thirdly, low-paying, low-status jobs frequently demand excessive conformity to procedures that the working parents then pass on to their children (Friedson, 2016). Additionally, children raised in socioeconomically disadvantaged homes are more likely to pass the internalized authoritative values on to the next generations, continuing the cycle of abuse.

In regards to gender, Endendijk, Groeneveld, Bakermans-Kranenburg & Mesman (2016) found that girls parenting primarily focused on kindness, empathy, and emotional openness. In contrast, the values of assertiveness and dominance are predominant in boys parenting. Societal gender roles can explain the differentiation between the two parenting styles. Traditionally, society negatively viewed boys displaying sensitivity and openness, and girls showing assertiveness and dominance (Endendijk et al., 2016). To ensure social conformance, parents would cultivate socially acceptable behaviors in children through appropriate parenting methods. Throughout centuries, the gender-conformist values would barely change from generation to generation. Today, however, the gender difference in parental practices is minimal (Endendijk et al., 2016). The change in societal attitudes toward the traditional gender roles likely contributed to this reduced differentiation, while greater importance is placed on the overall wellness of children regardless of gender.