Final answer:
According to Kohn et al., while lower-class parents emphasize obedience to authority in child-rearing, higher-status parents prioritize judgment and creativity.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Kohn et al., there are observable differences in the socializing strategies of lower-class and higher-status parents. Lower-class parents often emphasize obedience to authority, which is reflective of the attributes beneficial for their more repetitive-task jobs that require conformity and following rules. Conversely, higher-status parents focus more on emphasizing judgment and creativity in their children’s upbringing.
This divergence in values can be attributed to the greater education and engagement in careers that prioritize managerial skills and creative problem-solving abilities among wealthier parents.Sociologists have noted that these parenting styles are not merely preferential, but they play a crucial role in reproducing the class system, where children are raised to fill roles similar to those of their parents.
This cycle supports the continuance of class-related behaviors, and the same can be observed in other social dimensions such as gender norms and perceptions of race. The process of socialization therefore ingrains not just individual behaviors but also broader societal structures including race, class, and gender roles.