Parent Interview (25 points):
This assignment asks you to pull together what you have learned from this class (book and lecture content) and apply it to real life. It is your opportunity to show me what you now know about parenting practices and the theories and concepts that help frame them.
- Interview 2 parents (1 parent from 2 different families; or 2 parents from one family – interviewed separately). Ask them the following:
(1) what is your approach to parenting?
(2) what is your approach to discipline?
(3) what are your goals in your parenting? (What do you hope to accomplish?)
(4) Do you think your parenting partner would answer in the same way?
-If single parent-
Do you think your own parents would answer in the same way?
Be sure to get enough information on each question so you understand exactly what they mean. For example, if someone says that they are “strict” in their parenting approach; ask them what they mean (e.g., “what kinds of behaviors do you do that are examples of strict parenting?” If you have short answers it will be difficult to write the paper. Transcribe these for your personal reference and attach to your paper.
Keep diversity in mind when selecting your interviewees (ethnic diversity and family structure diversity). Also, if interviewing parents from different families, choose parents of different age-group children.
**Note: You cannot interview yourself or your partner if you are a parent. However, you can interview your own parent (s). Again- remember to interview your subjects separately.
The Paper (25 points):
Your paper will be a total of no less than 5 pages. The first three should summarize your interview results.
- Summarize these interviews. Include the following demographic information about the person (s) interviewed before you summarize their answers to your questions:
- age, sex, race/ethnicity
- marital status (be specific: never-married, married, divorced, remarried; cohabiting)
- highest level of education for both
- current job titles, if employed
- number, ages, and sex of children
*Note: use descriptive prose; do not list the descriptors as a “fill-in-the-blank” to the above questions. In other words- DO NOT LIST or copy/paste this assignment, write in your own words.
2.) Identify all the concepts/terminology you recognize from course content and the theories from which these concepts are derived (if applicable). Although some theories are found in combination, usually one theory best explains a person’s approach to parenting. Identify that overriding approach for each person. Finally, Identify the common themes and distinct differences between the interviews.
3.) In your conclusion, briefly discuss the following based on what you have read in your textbook and what you have learned from the parents that you interviewed: (1) what is/will be your approach to parenting? (2) What is/will be your approach to discipline? (3) What are/will be your goals in your parenting? Use the terminology from class.
