I'm trying to find out what the strengths are of each group. In the past, she says, parenting has been evaluated according to the Anglo model of how competitive and independent children turn out to be. I want to know what are some things they do differently that are associated with good outcomes for children. She says the values, beliefs and expectations about how to raise children are very different among the three groups. She quickly points out, however, that making cultural generalizations doesn't tell the whole story.
Families can be different, even when they share the same cultural background.
These cultural differences can lead to different ways of parenting. In her study, Devall is surveying parents in all three groups and their elementary-age children to find out what parenting qualities give children social and emotional skills. Many Americans eat margarine instead of butter because they believe it's less fattening. But gram for gram, both fat sources have the same number of calories. A recent research project revealed that people still have much to learn about fat and fiber, says Ann Bock, nutrition scientist with NMSU's Agricultural Experiment Station.