The Informalization of the Parent-Child Relationship: An Investigation of Parenting Discourses Produced in Australia in the Inter-War Years

Kitchens, R.M. (2007) The Informalization of the Parent-Child Relationship: An Investigation of Parenting Discourses Produced in Australia in the Inter-War Years. Journal of Family History, 32 (4). pp. 459-478.

Abstract

Drawing on the work of Norbert Elias, this article will explore the informalization of the parent-child relationship as reflected in parenting literature produced in Australia in the inter-war years. Authors of this literature have placed limits on the use of violence, discourage authoritarian disciplinary methods, and promote children's independence and autonomy. It is the contention of this article that these attempts to transform child-rearing practices can be interpreted as part of what Elias called the "civilizing process," by which a greater capacity for self-control is exacted on the part of both children and parents. It will also be argued that Elias's framework offers an alternative approach to Marxist and Foucaultian perspectives that place emphasis on social control.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Murdoch Affiliation:	School of Social Sciences and Humanities
Publisher:	SAGE Publications Inc.
Copyright:	© 2007 Sage Publications.
URI:	http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/11009

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