Exploring the Role of Race in How Children Conceptualize Parental Discipline Open Access

Abstract

This study aims to explore the role of race in how children conceptualize parental discipline. Prior literature in the field of child studies suggests that parental disciplinary strategies play a role in child success and that differences in parental discipline vary by race. Due to the fact that most research in this field is conducted on the parents of White middle-class children, it is important to gain perspectives from two fundamentally understudied populations: children and children of color, specifically. For the study, I surveyed a racially diverse sample of 100 college students aged from 18 to 24 years and interviewed 20 of the students from this sample. In the survey, participants answered questions about their childhood experiences with their caregivers’ disciplinary strategies. Through the interviewing process, participants received the opportunity to provide a more in-depth perspective on how they conceptualize their parents’ discipline. Results from the surveys and interviews were analyzed and coded by the co-PI and principal investigator of this study. Findings obtained from the qualitative and quantitative data of this study suggest that race plays a mediating role in influencing how children of different racial backgrounds attributed their parents’ race as an external factor influencing discipline. However, results did not show a mediating effect of race on other types of attributions related to other external factors, such as religion or socioeconomic status. This finding sheds more light on the way that race and discipline interact with each other in family environments and child-rearing strategies. 

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………..…....1

Background and Research Gaps……………………………………………………………..……2

Research Question……………………………………………………………………….………20

Methods……………………………………………………………………………………..……22

Findings……………………………………………………………………………………….…33

Discussion……………………………………………………………………………..…………55

Limitations and Future Research………………………………………………………...………62

Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………….……64

Appendices……………………………………………………………………………………….66

References………………………………………………………………………………………119

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Sociology
Degree	B.A.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Sociology, General
Keyword	Parental Discipline Race Attribution Theory
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Browne, Irene, Emory University
Committee Members	Park, Ju Hyun , Emory University Reed, Megan , Emory University Waldman, Irwin , Emory University

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