Religious Affiliation as a Source of Variation in Childrearing Values and Parental Regulation of Young Children

Not all parents regulate to the same degree, and one typically examined factor, social class, does not adequately account for variation. In this study, religious ideology was explored as another source of variation in parental regulatory practices. Sixteen middle-class European-American families (8 conservative and 8 liberal) with children between 2 and 3 years of age participated in parental interviews and in-home observations. In interviews, mothers showed some overlap in their beliefs about childrearing, thus highlighting the thread that binds the American middle class. Liberal and conservative mothers also showed systematic distinctions in ideology. There were also predicted differences in observed interaction. (Conservative mothers exercised more general regulation.) In one striking finding, liberals engaged in more regulation of child misbehaviors. This was related to increased negotiation and child noncompliance.