DOCUMENT RESUME ED 479 199 PS 031 440 Brannen, Julia; Heptinstall, Ellen; Bhopal, Kalwant AUTHOR Care and Family Life in Later Childhood. TITLE London Univ. INSTITUTION (England). 2000-00-00 PUB DATE 28p.; Produced by the Institute of Education, Thomas Coram NOTE Research Unit. A project funded by the Department of Health 1996-1999. AVAILABLE FROM Thomas Coram Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London, 27/28 Woburn Square, London, WC1H OAA, United Kingdom. Tel: +44-(0)20-7612-6957; Fax: +44- (0)20- 7612 -6927; Web site: http://www.Kl.ioe.ac.uk/tcru. For full text: http://www.Kl.ioe.ac.uk/tcru/pdfs/ careandfamilylife.pdf. PUB TYPE Reports Research (143) EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Case Studies; Child Caregivers; Child Rearing; *Child Role; *Childhood Attitudes; *Children; Comparative Analysis; *Family Life; Family Relationship; Family Structure; Focus Groups; Interpersonal Relationship; Parent Child Relationship; *Significant Others; Stepfamily; Surveys Parent Control IDENTIFIERS ABSTRACT Noting that care of children has not often been investigated from the perspective of the child, this study examined children's views on "care." Participating in the survey study were 941 children, ages 10 to 12 (592 in their first year of secondary school and 349 in their last years, year of primary school). Participants were drawn from 12 state schools in 2 South London local authorities. A case study sample of 63 children was selected from the survey sample, drawn equally from three family types: mother-only, mother and stepfather, and two-parent households. A separate sample of foster children was also included. The survey and case study samples were disproportionately working class families. The main findings of the research indicated that children thought they should be the care priority for their parents. Love and care were considered more important to children than family structure. Children believed that mothers and fathers should be equally involved in and responsible for child care. Children disliked family change such as separation and divorce, but were pragmatic and even optimistic about settling into new family structures/routines. Some children maintained affectionate relationships and regular contact with nonresident parents. Stepparents had to earn respect and affection as new parent figures, but gained points for making the birth parent happy. Siblings were the most significant people in children's lives after parents, followed by grandparents, blood-related uncles and aunts, friends, and some professionals, of which "helpful teachers" were most frequently nominated. Children believed childhood should be a protected and free time. (KB) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Care and Family Life in Later Childhood Julia Brannen, Ellen Heptinstall & Kalwant Bhopal A project funded by the Department of Health 1996 - 1999 Thomas Coram Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS CENTER (ERIC) BEEN GRANTED BY 1:1 This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. 1:1 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES document do not necessarily represent INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) official OERI position or policy. 2 1 Acknowledgements The research was carried out at Thomas Coram Research unit, Institute of Education, University of London and was funded by the Department of Health. We wish to acknowledge the assistance of Lucy McCarraher who helped to prepare this report for publication. This report is based upon Connecting Children: Care and Family Life in Later Childhood, by Julia Brannen, Ellen Heptinstall and Kalwant Bhopal (2000) London: Rout ledge Falmer ISBN 0 415 23094-2 (hdbk) and ISBN 0 415 23095 0 (pbk) Printed by the Institute of Education, University of London Copyright © Julia Brannen, Ellen Heptinstall and Kalwant Bhopal 2000 ISBN 2 3 Contents 4 Introduction 6 Executive Summary 1. Children's views of 'the proper way to care' 8 2. Children's views of parents through family change 11 3. Other important people in children's lives 13 4. Children as care-givers 17 5. Children and parental control 19 6. Conclusions from the research 21 23 Appendix 27 References 3 Introduction Care has not often been investigated from the perspective of the child. This study approached the subject by regarding children as individuals in their own right, who are attempting to make sense of the care they receive from parents from their own moral and experiential viewpoints. Being the main recipients of care in the family environment, their view of how they are treated is fundamental to our understanding of that care. Nor do children simply receive care without returning it to other family members. They are contributors of care within the household, holding what are often strong views which are influenced by outside forces, not least prevailing societal attitudes to family norms. The children taking part in this study were encouraged to give their views on 'care' which was interpreted broadly to include the moral, social and practical aspects. They were also questioned about their views concerning the desirability of particular family forms and cultural interpretations of parenthood and childhood. The study' was funded by the Department of Health and was carried out at the Thomas Coram Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London between 1996 and 1999. The study drew upon a community sample of 941children aged 10 to 12 who were starting (state) secondary school in two South London Local Authorities. This is a time of major transition when care in families may be paramount. The sample included children from every type of family background - two parent households, lone-mother households, step-families and foster care. The sample also represented children from several significant minority ethnic groups, with half of the children being from Black, South Asian or mixed race backgrounds. Study aims: The study's main aims were to examine: Children's understandings of care as 'caring about', 'caring for' and as integral to social relationships. Children's moral or normative views of care (the 'right thing to do') in different contexts. Children's own contribution to care and to family life. Children's accounts of family change and the importance to them of their resident and non-resident families of origin and their current carers. The family networks of children living in different family forms. The importance and support of social ties within the household and also including relatives, friends and professionals. Foster children's views and experiences of foster care Children's reports and views of their care compared with those of their parents and carers. Brannen, J, Heptinstall, E and Bhopal, K (2000) Connecting Children: Care and Family Life in Later Childhood, London: RoutledgeFalmer 4 Children's autonomy outside the home and in their everyday lives at the start of secondary school. Research design and methods To explore these aims, the following three-stage research design was chosen. In the first stage, a questionnaire survey of 941 children, either in their last year of primary school or their first year of secondary school, was carried out in twelve London schools in two local authorities. The survey provided an overview of children's views of family life and information upon which to select children living in different family types. In the second stage, focus groups were conducted with children in schools in order to develop the interview schedule for the third stage based upon children's own ideas. In the third stage, 63 children and their mothers and foster carers were interviewed separately about their views and experiences of giving and receiving care. These were selected from the survey according to three two-parent families, lone-mother families and step-families. types of family form A group of foster children was accessed via local authority social services departments. (See Appendix for further details) 5 Executive Summary This study provides the first full account of children's understanding of care and their perspectives on family life which is based on a community population of children and includes a group of children in foster care. This study was carried out with children during their transition to secondary school in two London local authorities. It provides both extensive and intensive analyses of children's views and experiences of care: care as a moral imperative or duty; care as 'caring about' other people; care as 'caring for' others; and care as a relationship in which care is given as well as received. Below is a summary of the main findings of the research: Children think they should be the care priority for their parents and within their families Children are inclusive in their views of what constitutes a family Love and care are more important to children than family structure Children see parents as those who give them unconditional love, and in return offer them immense loyalty and emotional support Children believe that mothers and fathers should be equally involved in and responsible for caring for their children Children dislike family change (such as separation and divorce), but are pragmatic and even optimistic about settling into new family structures and routines Some children maintained affectionate relationships and regular contact with non-resident parents; those who felt absent parents were 'no longer there for them' felt resentful Step-parents had to earn respect and affection as new parent figures, but gained points for making the children's birth parents happy Siblings were the most significant people in children's lives after parents, followed by grandparents - especially grandmothers - blood-related uncles and aunts, friends and some professionals, of which 'helpful teachers' were most frequently nominated Children in two-parent families have more friends than children living with lone - parents 6 Children believe childhood should be a protected and free time, where they should be allowed to get on with their homework and not do too much housework or other 'adult' work Children give as well as receive care, both to their parents - for whom they want to 'be there' - and siblings, friends, older relatives and pets Children's attitudes to parental control match those of their parents: in general, directive parents have compliant children and negotiative parents have negotiative children 7 1. Children's views of the 'proper way to care' Care is an expression of moral commitment that requires people to behave towards one another in caring ways (Brannen et al 2000)2 Filled with a strong sense of what the 'proper thing to do' is, children showed that they are actively morally aware even if they emphasise that they may not always practise what they preach. This applies outside as well as within the family, and was manifest in the consensus of responses from the children to vignettes of hypothetical, typical situations. Outside the home The first vignette was set in a school playground showing one girl isolated from the peer group. There was widespread agreement that the child should be comforted and included, but many also hinted that in reality she was likely to face some bullying or simply be ignored. The children raised possible reasons for not acting in a caring way towards the outsider, for instance the child's possible 'difference' from others and peer group culture. `It depends on what they're like. They could be, like, bullies and saying, let's go and pick on her. Or, they could be saying "Oh! Gosh, why is that girl crying? Let's go over and talk to her"' (Chloe, black girl) The second vignette pictured adults pushing in front of two children ready to pay for their purchases in a shop. They agreed that adults often treated them as if they were second class citizens in public places, and that this was unfair when they were equally customers. `Just because they're older than us, they think we can't stick up for ourselves' (Latasha, black girl). In the family Children all felt that in the home, family life should be centred on children's needs. They considered it a fact and appropriate that they should be the parents' first priority. Parents needed to 'be there for them' when they arrived home from school rather than working long hours. An almost equal number of boys and girls in the survey thought they would work part-time when they were grown up in order to make time for younger children especially. Though feeling obliged to help when necessary, the children felt that their homework must come first. Two thirds of the survey children thought they should help a little or give 'some help' and two thirds reported making a modest contribution to household work. Those views also Connecting Children: Care and Family Life in 2. Brannen, J, Heptinstall, E and Bhopal, K (2000) London: RoutledgeFalmer Later Childhood, 8 emerged when reacting to a third vignette showing two hard-working parents in a family run shop. `I think she (daughter) should do her homework first and then help them.' (Serena, black girl) Children said that at least one of the parents should stop working when they got home from school to help them with their homework. Also, it was seen as important that schoolwork was the work children should be doing and it should come before any household or commercial contributions (for instance helping in the family shop). `We've got the chance to make somebody clever, let's not ruin it.' (Niaz, South Asian origin boy) Gender-free parenting Social messages about equality in parenting appear to have had an impact on children. Their views on how parenting 'ought' to be done suggest that children see parenting as a gender-free activity. Four fifths of the survey children agreed that mothers and fathers should be equally, or interchangeably, involved in different parenting tasks and household work. However, their reported experience shows that, in practice, mothers are more involved in everyday childcare. Though children were often very careful not to make comparative judgements between their two parents, it also came across from some children that mothers fulfilled their emotional needs more than fathers did. `Mothers understand their children more and fathers, they've got to go to work and everything' (Rebecca, white girl). `Fathers are strict... they're not the best for understanding, loving. Mothers, they know how to nourish and love. They know what's best for children.' (Zarina, South Asian origin girl) Family change Children were, not surprisingly, averse to traumatic family change. Half the survey children (44%) thought parents should talk over their problems, and 28% thought parents should separate temporarily before giving the relationship a second chance. When shown a fourth vignette depicting argumentative parents, the majority of children said that the departing father should not leave the family. They all emphasised the negative impact of his departure on the child. However, despite expressing sadness and some disapproval of family breakdown, they were pragmatic in suggesting that things would start to get better. One boy living with his mother said 'When I first didn't see my dad I was upset, but now I don't mind because I'm still seeing him' (Willy, white boy). 9 1 0