Parenting Styles

Kohn divides parenting styles into two different general categories: those who promote conformity and those who encourage self-direction.  According to Kohn, the parents who promote conformity tend to come from working-class occupations and thus possess "working-class values" such as routinization, punctuality, and group work skills.  The parents who encourage self-direction are usually (not always) of a higher class, where they themselves have been afforded time and space to be creative and so they encourage their own kids to be curious, reason, and develop their own sense of self-control.

Baumrind, on the other hand, saw three divisions of parenting. The authoritarian style is a form of absolute control in the form of obedience and is held in place with punishments.  The permissive style allows children freedom to express him- or herself.  Few rules are instituted, which can also lead to other issues with a lack of structure in place.  Authoritative parents have control over their kids, but try to minimize punishments and use positive reinforcement tools.  Like permissive parents, they encourage freedom.

Lareau, like Kohn, divided parenting into two styles.  The first is termed "concerted cultivation" is a style where parents consciously take steps to cultivate the interests and abilities of their children.  Whether this be through providing lessons or taking them certain places, action is taken in development.  On the other hand, "accomplishment of natural growth" style provides sustenance, but believes that development arises spontaneously and does not need to be cultivated.

Comparing the three styles, both Kohn and Lareau suggest binaries, where there are only two extreme options.  Baumrind provides three divisions, one of them (authoritative) being a medium between the two.  All three theorists have styles that reflect the values and beliefs of the parents.

Personally, I favor Lareau's parenting styles.  Though his model is simple, it recognizes that parents either care/take interest or do not care/do not take interest in the development of their children.  Whether a parent is strict or not seems like a criteria secondary to simply taking interest in a child.