Challenging parenthood - developing a conceptual theory of learning processes

Author(s):

Ruth Michalek

Conference:

ECER 2008

Network:

14. Communities, Families and Schooling in Educational Research

Format:

Paper

Session Information

14 SES 04, Parenthood: Learning, Adaptation and Expectations

Paper Session

Time:

2008-09-10

16:00-17:30

Room:

A1 318

Chair:

Janne Pietarinen

Contribution

In everyday life parents face many challenging or problematic situations. They experience social requirements and are confronted with expectations of pedagogical institutions. Research findings indicate a general parent’s need to learn and continuing orientation for the social demands of mobility and flexibility and because of the plurality of lifestyles and values (Tschöpe-Scheffler, 2005). The topic parents can be identified in diverse fields of educational research (Ecarius 2007). Studies identify for example the relevance of parents for children’s educational progress (Alt 2005, bmfsfj 2002, Hurrelmann/Albert 2006). There is a long tradition in discussing parents’ competences and parent education - including the fact of their often lacking competences. Research findings indicate, that today’s parents are uncertain about how to educate their children. In addition they look for orientation (bmfsfj 2006). There is little knowledge about how parents deal with parenthood, more precisely, how they learn to be parents, how they learn the various meanings of being parents in our society and how parents can cope with their everyday life in a family (Ecarius, 1998; Demick 2006). In my approach I focus on the learning processes of parents in our society and in their everyday life. I try to identify the contents and forms of parents’ learning. Therefore this grounded theory study understands the notion of learning in a pragmatistic manner (Dewey 1938). According to pragmatistic view the possibility of learning evolve, where people experience and accept problems in their actions. Whenever parents identify a situation as problematic, learning processes could take place. Thus learning of parents can be considered as the process of finding solutions in order to solve these problems.

Method

This research project is aiming at the development of a grounded theory (Strauss/Corbin 1990) concerning parents’ learning processes. So far there have been collected two forms of data: first, four mothers and fathers have been interviewed; after analysing the first interview, the next interviews were chosen in order to get additional information about the analysed theoretical concepts respectively to get answers for new questions (theoretical sampling). Second, diaries of four parents were analysed in order to vary the form of data.

Expected Outcomes

Resent results suggest to take parenthood as a situational and interactive category. As a matter of fact, parents do learn meanings of their parenthood in interactions. There are four perspectives which help to describe these situations of interaction: positioning of the involved persons, contents of learning, forms of interaction, meanings for the self-image of parents. The paper shall present first findings.

References

Alt, Christian (Hrsg.) (2005): Kinderleben - Aufwachsen zwischen Familie, Freunden und Institutionen. Bd. 1, Aufwachsen in Familien. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag. Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend (bmfsfj)(2006): Familie zwischen Flexibilität und Verlässlichkeit Perspektiven für eine lebenslaufbezogene Familienpolitik. 7. Familienbericht. Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend (bmfsfj )(2002): Die bildungspolitische Bedeutung der Familie – Folgerungen aus der PISA-Studie. Stuttgart/ Berlin/Köln. Demick, Jack (2006): Effects of Children on Adult Development and Learning: Parenthood and Beyond. In: Hoare, Carol (ed.): Handbook of adult development and learning. Oxford: University Press. 331-343. Dewey, John (1938): Logic: the Theory of inquiry. In: J.A Boydston (ed.): John Dewey: The later works, 1925-1953, Vol.12. Carbondale: SIU Press. Dewey, John (1938a); Experience and Education. In: J. A Boydston (ed.): John Dewey: The later works, 1925-1953, Vol.13. Carbondale: SIU Press. Ecarius, Jutta (ed.) (2007): Handbuch Familie. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag. Ecarius, Jutta (ed.)(1998): Was will die jüngere mit der älteren Generation? Generationsbeziehungen und Generationenverhältnisse in der Erziehungswissenschaft. Opladen: Leske&Budrich. Hurrelmann, Klaus/Albert, Mathias (2006): Jugend 2006. 15. Shell Jugendstudie. Eine pragmatische Generation unter Druck. Frankfurt: Fischer. Strauss, Anselm / Corbin, Juliet (1990): Basics of Qualitative Research: Grounded Theory Procedures and Techniques. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. Tschöpe-Scheffler, Sigrid (2005): Unterstützungsangebote zur Stärkung der elterlichen Erziehungsverantwortung oder: Starke Eltern haben starke Kinder. In: Zeitschrift für Soziologie der Erziehung und Sozialisation, Jg. 25, Nr. 3, 248–262.

Author Information

Ruth Michalek

Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg

Abteilung Erwachsenenbildung/Weiterbildung

Freiburg

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