The price of privilege vs Parenting

The price of privilege

Madeline Levine

2005

In this ground-breaking book on the children of affluence, a well-known clinical psychologist exposes the epidemic of emotional problems that are disabling America’s privileged youth, thanks, in large part, to normalized, intrusive parenting that stunts the crucial development of the self. In recent years, numerous studies have shown that bright, charming, seemingly confident and socially skilled teenagers from affluent, loving families are experiencing epidemic rates of depression, substance abuse, and anxiety disorders&—rates higher than in any other socioeconomic group of American adolescents. Materialism, pressure to achieve, perfectionism, and disconnection are combining to create a perfect storm that is devastating children of privilege and their parents alike. In this eye-opening, provocative, and essential book, clinical psychologist Madeline Levine explodes one child-rearing myth after another. With empathy and candor, she identifies toxic cultural influences and well-intentioned, but misguided, parenting practices that are detrimental to a child's healthy self-development. Her thoughtful, practical advice provides solutions that will enable parents to help their emotionally troubled "star" child cultivate an authentic sense of self.

Parenting

Tom Luster

2005

Parenting: An Ecological Perspective was originally created in 1993 to answer questions such as: Why do parents differ markedly in the ways in which they care for their children? What factors contribute to individual differences in parenting behavior? The framework used for addressing these questions is the ecological perspective developed by Urie Bronfenbrenner, who recognized that children's development is influenced by the interactions that they have over time with the people, objects, and symbols in their immediate environment. Luster and Okagaki have updated the original text focusing on parental behavior and also included 6 new chapters covering topics such as: *fathers/gender of parent; *children with special needs; *ethnicity and socioeconomic status; and *parent education. The text summarizes the latest research on factors that influence parenting, with each chapter providing a look at one important influence and the linkages among these various factors. An ecological perspective draws attention to the fact that the lives of parents and children are intertwined, and that understanding factors that influence parents is important for understanding the experiences of children.