Working Class Education - Parental Influences

Parental Influences

The way parents act in the home and raise their children has a large effect on how children will interact in social institutions. Many social scientists claim that middle class parents practice concerted cultivation, meaning a child’s life is filled with organized activities and social interactions with adults. Due to the extent of their interactions outside of the home, the children of concerted cultivation develop a greater mastery of language and are instilled with a sense of entitlement, both of which allows them to become more comfortable when interacting with institutions. On the other hand, many working class parents practice the accomplishment of natural growth, where children have more control over their free time and are exposed to fewer interactions with adults that are outside of the home. These children are usually left to occupy themselves with activities such as watching TV, playing video games, or playing outside. Working-class parents put less emphasis on planned activities, than their middle class counterparts, because they are less likely to have the funds to pay for them.

The problem that comes with these differences in parenting practices is that schools, along with other institutions, are more harmonious with concerted cultivation, the parenting practice of the middle class. Teachers want parents and children to engage and be proactive, but parents and children of the working class feel a sense of constraint that leaves them confused on how to “work the system” and often causes them to become hostile towards schooling. Because working class parents are often uncomfortable around authority figures, they are less likely to communicate with their child’s teacher or become involved in the school. As a result of this, low income school districts have lower involvement in parent teacher conferences. This could also be attributed to the fact that working class parents often have to hold down more than one job and do not have very much time to help their children with homework or attend school functions. As a consequence, working-class children mature in narrow social settings, receive fewer resources, and feel less entitlement.