EFFECT OF WORKING MOTHERS ON CHILD BEHAVIOR.   Term Paper ID:30427 Click to get this paper

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Paper Abstract: Discusses both sides of the issue. Cites many studies on the topic. Conservative elements of American society that maintains women should stay home and take care of their kids. Growth of females in the work force. Economic factors. Importance of quality daycare. Problem of lack of daycare funding by the government. Paper Introduction: EFFECTS ON CHILD BEHAVIOR OF MOTHERS WORKING OUTSIDE THE HOME: A LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction: Topic Identification Recently, television and print media in the United States reported research by Mary Eberstadt (2001) indicating that the children of mothers who worked outside the home displayed behavioral problems far more frequently than the children of mother who stayed at home. Eberstadt (2001) concluded that the causal source of the problem was a combination of day care and an absence of maternal contact and supervision. The issue reported by Eberstadt (2001) is important, and, while her findings may be valid, the failure of the media to fully identify her background and that of the journal that published her work indicates a need to explore the issue f Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Eberstadt(2 1) concluded that the causal source of the problem was a combination ofday care and an absence of maternal contact and supervision. Thus, on the one hand thedemand for child daycare is up significantly because of the increasednumbers of women working who must also provide care for their children. Anydeviation from these static ideas are perceived by these religious groupsas at worst evil and as at best detrimental to society (Bellah, Madsen,Sullivan, Swider, & Tipton, 1985). (1991, Winter). E., Hinden, B. Familytherapists, health care providers, social workers, and sociologists areamong the professional groups concerned about this issue. This element is often willing toacknowledge that child daycare is a major problem for millions of people;however, they are seldom willing to take any meaningful action toameliorate the situation, preferring instead to suggest that employersvoluntarily provide such services (Lowry, 2 1). Happy mother's day. Conflicting research findings in theliterature mean that one cannot rule out this explanation. L., Johnson, C., Beaman, J., Conger, R. Deater-Deckard, Pinkerton, and Scarr (1996) found that the quality ofday care and not maternal absence that caused behavioral problems amongchildren whose mothers worked outside the home. A second factorthat may explain such behavioral differences is variations in thepersonality characteristics of individual children. What she does not cite andwhat she did not perform was research on the issue. Parents and peer group as mediators of the effect ofcommunity structure on adolescent problem behavior. American Journal ofCommunity Psychology, 24, 145-171. Researchers andtheorists offer a plethora of reasons exist to explain this phenomenon;however, relevant research findings frequently conflict with one another.The factor cited most frequently as a potential causal explanation for theproblem of unacceptable adolescent behavior is the socioeconomic status(SES) of the family (Santelli, Lowry, & Robin, 2 ; Arrington & Wilson,2 ). A., & Lemerond, J. The dogmas of these religions "promotethe establishment and maintenance of family relationships" (Bellah, Madsen,Sullivan, Swider, & Tipton, 1985, p. Fraser, M. (1996,April). Fuller, B., Holloway, S. According to this line of reasoning, manyteenagers in the United States appear to perceive adolescence as a separatesociety where the norms applicable to the broader society do not apply.For these adolescents, cultural structures and strictures associated withfamily and community appear to have little meaning (Johnson, Cohen,Smailes, Kasen, Oldham, Skodol, & Brook, 2 ). (1996, February). (2 1, June-July). E., & Brook, J. How do mothers choose child care? Adolescence, 28, 851-865. American Journal of Psychiatry, 157, 14 6-142 . A third element in American society includes child daycare as acomponent of an activist social agenda, along with aid for the homeless,those without access to medical care, those living in poverty, and soforth. The American Journal ofPublic Health, 9 , 1582-1589. Journal of MulticulturalSocial Work, 8, 47-7 . D., & Whitbeck, L.B. The Nation, 272, 1 -11. (1999, Spring). The Hoover Institution is a respected organization with adecidedly politically conservative orientation. Blending workand family: A case study. The Web site for thePolicy Review alternative identifies both the Hoover Institution and theHeritage Foundation as publishers of the journal. (2 , September). Childcare quality and children's behavioral adjustment: A four-year longitudinalstudy. D., Cisler, R. (1995). Alternative cultural models inpoor neighborhoods. Home-alone America. Adolescentdevelopment: Pathways and processes of risk and resilience. Johnson, J., G., Cohen, P., Smailes, E., Kasen, S., Oldham, J. Policy Review(1 7), 3-14. Approximately eight-percent of adolescents commit more than one-half of all serious offenses committed by juveniles in the United States.This general level of violent behavior by adolescents has spread tosecondary schools in all parts of the country (Fraser, 1996). M. Personsunder the age of 18 years old are responsible for approximately 32 percentof serious property crimes cleared by arrest and for approximately 17percent of violent crimes cleared by arrest. S., Lowry, N. Conveniently overlooked in these arguments isthe neglect that stems from an inability to adequately provide for one'schildren, if one does not or cannot work outside of the home (Lowry, 2 1). One element of American society contends that all mothers should stayhome and take care of their own children - period. Media reports on the Eberstadt(2 1) article identified the publisher of the Policy Review, the journalin which the article appeared, as the Hoover Institution without furtherelaboration. Hillman, S. Literature Review Eberstadt's (2 1) article "Home-Alone America," more than anythingelse is a diatribe against mothers working outside the home. (2 , September). Riskfactors for adolescent suicidal behavior: Loss, insufficient familialsupport, and hopelessness. A third factor thatmay offer a stronger explanation than either of the factors above canprovide is the quality of the child's daycare experience. Pollitt, K. Conflicting findings also exist inrelation to the casual association between these factors and adolescentproblem behaviors (Simons, Johnson, Beaman, Conger, & Whitbeck, 1996;Hillman & Sawilowsky, 1991; Franke, 2 ; Compas, Hinden, & Gerhart, 1995). B., & Sawilowsky, S. As a point of fact, 6 percent of mothers with school-age children holdjobs outside of the home (Pollitt, 2 1). Santelli, J. (1996, November). N., Swidler, A., & Tipton, S.M. (2 , June). Television news in the United States continually reminds the public oftroublesome adolescent behavior in contemporary American society. S. Onthe other hand, however, the numbers of neighborhood women available toprovide child daycare is down significantly because fewer women are at homeduring the day (Fuller, Holloway, Ramboud, & Eggers-Pierola, 1996). effects on child behavior of mothers working outside the home: a literature review Introduction: Topic Identification Recently, television and print media in the United States reportedresearch by Mary Eberstadt (2 1) indicating that the children of motherswho worked outside the home displayed behavioral problems far morefrequently than the children of mother who stayed at home. W. (2 1, May 28). Erel, O., Oberman, Y., & Yirmiya, N. Annual Reviewof Psychology, 46, 265-293. A second element in American society may or may not be opposed to childdaycare outside of the home. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 9, 221-23 . Deater-Deckard, K., Pinkerton, R., & Scarr, S. R., & Gerhardt, C. Conflicting findings exist, however, with respect to therelationship between SES and adolescent behavior (Morano, Cisler, &Lemerond, 1993). Simons, R. This element, however, strongly opposes anygovernmental financial support of such care or of any public law mandatingthe provision of such care by employers. National Review, 53, 1 -14. Independent Variables and Theories That May Explain Behavioral Differences Among Children Whose Mothers Work Outside the Home and Children Whose Mothers Stay At Home One factor that may explain behavioral differences among childrenwhose mothers work outside the home and children whose mothers stay at homeis the work status of the mother. A later study by Erel,Oberman, and Yirmiya (2 ) echoes these findings. Adolescent personalitydisorders associated with violence and criminal behavior during adolescenceand early adulthood. The cultural structure of American society is one source of causalfactors in the increasing frequency of violent and criminal behavior byadolescents. Adolescent violent behavior: Ananalysis across and within racial/ethnic groups. N. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers. Franke, T. Other factors offered frequently as causal explanationsfor troublesome adolescent behavior include (1) family structure (singleparent, two parent, and so forth), (2) the work status of the mother(working outside the home versus staying at home), (3) race or ethnicity,and (4) parental formal education. In the mid-196 s, women workers accountedfor approximately one-third of all Americans active in the work force. Habits of the heart. The values of most religions represented in the United Statesencourage marriage and parenthood. (1985). (1996, July). Inthe early years of the twenty-first century, this proportion has risen toat least one-half of the American work force. Criminal anti-social behavior on the part of youth in the in theUnited States is shockingly high and increasing in frequency. She also cites thework of other authors to support her thesis. Morano, C. Adolescence, 26, 826-834. Sociology of Education, 69, 83-1 4. 84). Maternalemployment and early adolescent substance use. The issue reported by Eberstadt (2 1) is important, and, while herfindings may be valid, the failure of the media to fully identify herbackground and that of the journal that published her work indicates a needto explore the issue further. Eberstadt, M. N., Madsen, R., Sullivan, W. Family relationships implyconventional marriage to the members of these religious groups. In contemporary American society, it is necessary for all adults in amajority of the country's households to work outside of the home, in orderto maintain an acceptable standard of living. Maternalversus nonmaternal care and seven domains of children's development.Psychological Bulletin, 126, 727-749. In thearticle, she cites everything from the Columbine High School shooting tothe sexual abuse of children as support for her thesis. D., & Robin, L. Mary Eberstadt writes articles on political,economic, and social issue with a far-right slant and seldom presents datacontrary to the thesis of her articles. When school-age children arepresent in these households, the problems faced by parents are exacerbated. A. D., Rambaud, M., & Eggers-Pierola, C. Compas, B. The Heritage Foundation,as is true of the Hoover Institution, presents articles written with ahighly conservative slant that rarely address both sides of the issuesreported. Sprang, G., Secret, M., & Bradford, J. While the motives of this element are usually praiseworthy, theyusually provide fodder for those elements opposed to child daycare becausethe social activists all too often attempt to dismiss the significance offunding problems associated with parts of their agenda (Sprang, Secret, &Bradford, 1999). Major changes have occurred in the demographics of the American workforce in the past four decades. Lowry, R. (2 , October). Aggressive behavior in childhood and earlyadolescence: An ecological-developmental perspective on youth violence.Social Work, 41, 347-361. Theassociation of sexual behaviors with socioeconomic status, familystructure, and race/ethnicity among US adolescents. Bellah, R. S. (2 , Winter-Spring). (1993, Winter). Approximately seven-percentof all juvenile delinquency referrals to juvenile courts involved violentcrime. G., & Wilson, M. These people contendthat mothers who use daycare so that they may work outside of the home areneglecting their children. (2 1, May 28). Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines,37, 937-948. A re-examination ofrisk and resilience during adolescence: Incorporating culture anddiversity. M.,Skodol, A. Affilia Journal of Women and Social Work, 14, 98-127. Nasty, brutish, and short: Children in daycare - and the mothers who put them there. Violent behavior involving perpetrators typically alsoinvolves teenage victims. References Arrington, E. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.