Ee. Pinderhughes et al., Parenting in context: Impact of neighborhood poverty, residential stability, public services, social networks, and danger on parental behaviors, J MARRIAGE, 63(4), 2001, pp. 941-953
This prospective longitudinal study examined the unique and combined effect
s of neighborhood characteristics on parental behaviors in the context of m
ore distal and more proximal influences. With a sample of 368 mothers from
high-risk communities in 4 parts of the United States, this study examined
relations between race (African American or European American), locality (u
rban or rural), neighborhood characteristics, family context, and child pro
blem behaviors, and parental warmth, appropriate and consistent discipline,
and harsh interactions. Analyses testing increasingly proximal influences
on parenting revealed that initial race differences in warmth and consisten
t discipline disappeared when neighborhood influences were considered. Alth
ough generally culture and context did not moderate other relations found b
etween neighborhood characteristics, family context, and child behaviors, t
he few interactions found highlight the complex influences on parenting.