The usual way of raising children has its origins not only in the social and cultural environment of the family, but also in the demands that the environment places on life and living together. The purpose of parenting and the practice of parenting are usually tailored to a specific socio-cultural environment and therefore environmentally appropriate.
Environment-specific parenting
If parenting is done in an environmentally appropriate manner, both social and cultural circumstances must be taken into account when assessing parenting. What is not good for the child’s development in one social or cultural environment may be good in another. Let us think of the differences that already exist in very small things. In one culture it is ,not done, to look someone straight in the eye when someone speaks to him, in another culture the opposite is true. Not only is this example a cultural given, but it is also required in social interaction with others.
For example, this has consequences for the ways in which parenting is assessed and certainly in the context of intervention in parenting by care providers, etc. Within our standards of the quality of care and parenting, we must take into account that there are differences. iin the socio-cultural relativity of norms and values. In practice this is often misunderstood.
Immigrants and natives
The environment in which the family is raised can explain the differences in parenting style between Dutch parents and immigrant parents. The purpose of parenting and the practice of parenting that are common in the majority group and the minority groups can differ greatly because the circumstances (past and current circumstances) are different from group to group: different origins and traditions, different cultural and social position and opportunities, different level of prosperity and so on.
Characteristics
Just as diverse as the purpose of education is the practice of education. In research, the parenting behavior of the parents is separated into various characteristics, among others the following characteristics are distinguished:
- Support: action and reaction, emotional involvement, positive involvement;
- Authoritarian control: use of power, punishment, boundaries, ignoring;
- Authoritative control: use of authority, persuading, warning, explaining.
Dutch parents are warm, personal and intensively supportive; hardly authoritarian; predominantly and extensively authoritative. Moroccan families are less responsive, more authoritative and less authoritative. The vast majority of Dutch parents meet the average characteristics mentioned. There are still clear contrasts among Moroccan parents. For some, the upbringing resembles the Dutch upbringing and on average they have the same characteristics, but there are just as many where the upbringing seems to be a distorted Moroccan upbringing, even more authoritarian (authoritarian = strict), even less responsive (response = reaction or interaction) and even less authoritative (authoritative=permissive) than the average Moroccan upbringing.
Both the differences between Moroccan and Dutch parents and the differences among Moroccan parents can be explained by a number of reasons. First of all, origin and tradition are influential. The customs, norms and values of the average Moroccan immigrant had their origins in Moroccan society, which was different from Dutch society. Their educational goals and practice of raising children also originated there and were at home there: in a different mode of existence, in a different civilization, in a different society, in different religious relationships. In short, a completely different pattern of norms and values than the Dutch pattern. The differences between Moroccan parents largely have to do with the increasing distance from that origin and tradition. We see that the distance is directly proportional to the change in the upbringing pattern. The greater the distance, and this does not only mean the physical distance but also the distance to the norms and value pattern, due to, among other things, the influence of Dutch society and the Dutch norms and values, the more Dutch the upbringing becomes. It is therefore the younger Moroccan parents who raise less Moroccan children. This means, among other things, that the practice of raising children and the goal of raising children in the third generation is closer to the Dutch than in the first and second generations.
Secondly, the current cultural, social and economic position is of great importance. It is an open argument to claim that the circumstances of Moroccans and especially Moroccan young people are less favorable than those of Dutch people. Just think of housing, income, employment, social opportunities, internships, status of your own language and culture. Unfavorable circumstances require different parenting practices than favorable circumstances. Authoritarian parenting may be necessary to adequately protect children against all kinds of risks and a strong emphasis on performance may be necessary to adequately prepare children for education, training and the labor market. The differences between Moroccan parents are due to improving circumstances. The situation is gradually becoming more favorable and we see this reflected in the way of raising children.