Comparison of Parenting Theories

Authoritarian

• The authoritarian parenting style emphasizes rules and boundaries over everything else. An authoritarian parent is likely to instill in his child the understanding that there is a discrepancy of power in the household, with the parent as the obvious leader and the child as the follower. Authoritarian parents tend not to have discussions with their children regarding why the family rules are in place and are not likely to give into a child̵7;s demands. According to Dr. Laurence Steinberg, professor of psychology at Temple University, this type of parenting tends to be more common in Asian and African-American households, and seems to work well for such families. However, for Western families, the authoritarian style tends to lead to rebellious or overly dependent children.

Authoritative

• Authoritative parents resemble authoritarian parents in their strict boundary-setting. However, unlike authoritarian parents, authoritative parents actively engage their children in discussions of why rules are in place. This allows children to have more say in the rule-setting of a family and puts children in a higher position of power in the family. As a result, a compromise of wishes between parents and children is more likely in a family employing the authoritative parenting style. Children raised under an authoritative parenting theory are more likely to actively engage themselves in social situations. They also tend to be more independent than children raised under other parenting styles.

Permissive

• The permissive parenting style possesses the openness of the authoritative style but is without the limit-setting behavior. A permissive parent believes that allowing her child to be free is an expression of love. In this way, a permissive parent is likely to indulge in most of the wishes of her child. For a permissive parent, putting restrictions on her child is hard, and she might feel that by doing so she will disappoint her child. Because of getting almost everything they want, children raised in such households tend to have large egos and problems with self-control.

Uninvolved

• The uninvolved parenting style is like the permissive parenting style only without the openness and parent-child connection. An uninvolved parent is uninvolved in his child̵7;s life, hence the name. Uninvolved parents are not necessarily divorced parents or overworking parents who are not physically present; an uninvolved parent may be physically present but emotionally distant, telling his child ̶0;do whatever you want̶1; when prompted for advice. Such parents might feel overwhelmed with the responsibility of parenting and have given up on trying to raise a child, especially if the child is already out of control. Without the guidance of a parent, children raised under the uninvolved parenting style tend to be indulgent and lack self-control.