Child rearing and the character structure of the mother.

Abstract

specific rearing practices and techniques.8 A methodology was developed using interdisciplinary concepts of social role and social interaction to explore the relative effect of these two sets of influences. The child's response is studied first in terms of his interaction with the total mother person and, second, as he reacts to the mother's rearing techniques. Although the child is subject to other influences, only the mother is considered here since she is the focal parent in relation to rearing the young child. The study indicates that evaluations of child rearing practices are of little value unless understood as aspects of a dynamic process of socialization dependent on the social interaction of those individuals concerned. This is of importance for a more accurate assessment of acculturation and for preventive mental health and research programs. The hypothesis also offers some explanation of the wide variations in child rearing and child adjustment within a cultural subgroup, as revealed in previous studies (3, 6).