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freckleduck's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this book once I got past the higher education formatting. I was able to follow her train of thought but having notes for the appendices rather than at the bottom of the page was a problem just logistically trying to keep track of the variety of pages I was on. An interesting look into class and implications that has for later life. I enjoyed that she did not proclaim one class as having a superior method overall. I would be interested if this study added other research about any more middle ground approach that enables unstructured playtime where the child develops their imagination and yet enough activities and cultivation that they are able to have valuable skills later. i would be interested for her to update and write about how the children ended up at later points in their lives. This book from an educational standpoint was also interesting because it gave me a lens through which to see different parents and their reactions to school as an institution.
librariandest's review against another edition
4.0
We read this in my child language development class in college, focusing on the second section which is about (duh) language. Really interesting examinations of the differences between how middle-class children are raised versus lower-class children.
robynryle's review against another edition
My god, this is the first sociology book in ages that I literally can't put down. Her stories are fascinating and make you really think about what it means to raise a child.
anhtran221's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. A great book in the way that it finally explains to me why I've always feel out of place/uncomfortable by anything suburban, though it is a study so the writing is pretty clinical.
A study on the impact of social class on poverty. Generally the middle class tends to use the concerted cultivation method where the child is usually over-scheduled in various after school activities (sports, piano, choir, etc) and parents solicit their opinions/encourage negotiation. This method provide them with skills in teamwork and performance and also sense of entitlement, which are skills valued in America's institutions but familial connections tend to be more tense and they may end up being pretty rude. The working class and poor use the natural growth method where children have long periods of unstructured play, close connection with extended family, and directives from parents are usually non-negotiable. This method gives children more control of their time and develops a sense of restraint in the children. However, many will not know how to navigate institutional settings like schools, hospitals, workplaces, etc. The conclusion at the end of the book is that class has more of an impact on poverty than race, though black children still experience racism at any class. She lists several ways the state can intervene to reduce inequality, like universal health-care, state daycare, higher minimum wage, etc. None of which is likely to happen anytime soon.
Quote: "Still, any analysis of the rise of concerted cultivation must also, I believe, grapple with the changing position of the United States in the world economy, and the accompanying decline in highly paid manufacturing jobs and increase in less desirable service sector jobs. This restructuring makes it very likely that when today's children are adults, their standards of living will be lower than that of their parents. It means that there will be few "good jobs" and more "bad jobs," and that the competition for them will be intense."
That quote above basically predicted millennials. Linking this to another book called "Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation", it makes a lot of sense why they can't even. A lot of millennials are probably middle class children who grew up in concerted cultivation, where parents invest a lot of time and money cultivating children into middle-class adults. There's now have a generation of people with middle-class skills and used to a certain standard of living, and there's not enough "good jobs" to sustain that.
A study on the impact of social class on poverty. Generally the middle class tends to use the concerted cultivation method where the child is usually over-scheduled in various after school activities (sports, piano, choir, etc) and parents solicit their opinions/encourage negotiation. This method provide them with skills in teamwork and performance and also sense of entitlement, which are skills valued in America's institutions but familial connections tend to be more tense and they may end up being pretty rude. The working class and poor use the natural growth method where children have long periods of unstructured play, close connection with extended family, and directives from parents are usually non-negotiable. This method gives children more control of their time and develops a sense of restraint in the children. However, many will not know how to navigate institutional settings like schools, hospitals, workplaces, etc. The conclusion at the end of the book is that class has more of an impact on poverty than race, though black children still experience racism at any class. She lists several ways the state can intervene to reduce inequality, like universal health-care, state daycare, higher minimum wage, etc. None of which is likely to happen anytime soon.
Quote: "Still, any analysis of the rise of concerted cultivation must also, I believe, grapple with the changing position of the United States in the world economy, and the accompanying decline in highly paid manufacturing jobs and increase in less desirable service sector jobs. This restructuring makes it very likely that when today's children are adults, their standards of living will be lower than that of their parents. It means that there will be few "good jobs" and more "bad jobs," and that the competition for them will be intense."
That quote above basically predicted millennials. Linking this to another book called "Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation", it makes a lot of sense why they can't even. A lot of millennials are probably middle class children who grew up in concerted cultivation, where parents invest a lot of time and money cultivating children into middle-class adults. There's now have a generation of people with middle-class skills and used to a certain standard of living, and there's not enough "good jobs" to sustain that.