Campbell (2005) seems to focus largely on immigrant populations and how their cultural norms for child-rearing translate (or fail to do so) in middle America. It offers guidance for professionals to ensure an understanding, if not of the cultural differences themselves, that differences exist. According to Campbell, in order to be able to identify abuse and neglect and offer support to families in acclimating to child-rearing in their new homes, providers must be prepared to learn about the previous cultural norms of those families and help translate those to their new homes. This is a form of strength-based support: identifying practices which are both within the normal practices of the previous culture and within the acceptable practices of their new ones. It is these practices that are encouraged and supported along with an explanation to ensure understanding of which other practices may not be allowed in this new culture. One aspect of the paper, however, that I found particularly interesting was the differences among non-immigrant citizens based on socioeconomic or geographic backgrounds.
While Campbell (2005) was brief in addressing this issue, it is the one which most peaked my interest. Campbell noted that most providers fall into a middle-class range, although their pre-professional backgrounds may vary. Unintentional though it may have been, my interpretation of the tone seemed to lean towards the rightness of authoritarian parenting among the middle class as opposed to more authoritative styles among citizen members of lower socioeconomic statuses. What Campbell does not mention is a growing tendency among the middle class to engage in helicopter parenting, a relatively new phenomenon.
In a 2014 article by Hara Estroff Marano published on Psychology Today’s website, new research on helicopter parenting was discussed. Marano noted universities across the country exploring the issue and the negative consequences these practices are having on children reaching far into adulthood. The importance of this point is based on Campbell’s (2005) reiteration of understanding cultures and their practices objectively. The same lens must be used to view practices within one’s own culture. As Campbell noted, most providers fall into the middle class strata and must be equally careful to critically observe those practices which may be considered normal in their own culture.
References
Campbell, E. T. (2005). Child abuse recognition, reporting and prevention: A culturally congruent approach. Journal of Multicultural Nursing & Health, 11(2), 35-40. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/ehost
Marano, H. E. (2014). Helicopter parenting: It’s worse than you think. Psychology Today [online]. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/nation-wimps/201401/helicopter-parenting-its-worse-you-think
