Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life

The accomplishment of natural growth is one of two overarching parenting approaches that Lareau studies and discusses in her book. Lareau finds that this child-rearing strategy is overwhelmingly practiced by working-class and poor families, but it is not necessarily less valuable. In the accomplishment of natural growth, parents and children are seen as separate entities. Children are to obey their parents, and language is used in large part to offer directives or as a practical tool for communication. Children spend most or all their leisure time freely rather than in organized activities and also spend a great deal of time with extended family. Parents do not intentionally decide upon a parenting style; instead, Lareau suggests it is something taught generationally. The accomplishment of natural growth helps develop children’s independence, leadership skills, and family bonds, but Lareau argues it is not favored by the institutions in America, such as schools and the state. As a result, these children are at a disadvantage in their education and future career. Children raised with this approach often grow up to have menial jobs and uncertain futures due to the social structure in which they live denying these skills as useful in the workforce. Parents who use this approach are not less invested in their children than those who use concerted cultivation; instead, they just invest in different ways.