Role of Family in Children’s Socialization (Part I)

Every individual is influenced by his physical structure, living environment, and system of belief, cultural norms and customs. In today’s complicated world government policies and effectives social programs are also affecting different aspects of his life and the socialization process.

Four Methods of the child training:  
According to Bam Rind most of parents opt one of three methods of the child training and then Maccobi and Martin identified the fourth method:

1- Lenient method of child training
2- Authoritarian method of child training
3- Powerful method of child training
4- Apathetic method of child training

In Lenient method parents are only observers having no expectation from the child and avoid imposing any check and balance on him. Their child has low level of ability in decision making and self-reliance. Those parents who follow authoritarian method of child training are despotic and dictator, having lots of expectations from their children. They apply strict control on their children and expect the child to obey the order of his or her elders. Therefore their children are isolated, unsatisfied and unhappy and at the time of failure react anxiously.

Powerful and categorical parents in comparison of other types of parents are more warm, intimate and friendly. This type of parents respect their children’s independence and decisions although define certain appropriate rules and regulations for them. One should reach to this conclusion that children of this type of parents grow-up well; they are happy and have a good deal of confidence. Apathetic parents neither have any expectation from their children nor pay much attention to their needs having no interference in their children’s behavior and activities. The children of this type of parents are either emotionally isolated or have extra ordinary need for love as they are not able to establish an intimate relation with their parents. The possibility of getting affected by dangerous habits (using drug, anxiety etc) in this type of children is very high.

By: Dr Nour Muhammad Bakhshani
Member of Board of Studies, Zahedan Medical University