Structural and Personal Contexts of Discipline Orientations of Guyanese Parents: Theoretic and Empirical Considerations

Since Rawlins' (1987) critique that the Caribbean literature was deficient in its emphasis on the interactional and dynamic feature of families, the empirical response has been rather measured. Except for Wilson and Kpsowa's (1994) study of paternal relationships in Guyana and Senior's (1991) contributions on maternal behavior in the larger Caribbean region, little is known about salient aspects of parenting such as socialization practices. In this paper we examine discipline styles of urban Guyanese parents with the aim of providing important descriptive information as well as an understanding of the social and personal contexts of such behaviors. The study is important for two reasons. First, it uses cross-sectional data from an urban probability sample in Guyana1, which is a refreshing departure from the characteristic nonprobability rural lower class studies in the region. Second, the study provides a basis to buttress or commute the fragmented and often impressionistic notions about discipline in the region. The result of this endeavor is the expansion of theoretic notions about socialization using data from a Third World context. Theoretical constructs are to a large extent dependent on the variety of research settings in which replications are conducted. To the extent that the results of this investigation are consistent or inconsistent with established theoretical constructs, the purpose of confirming or modifying social theory is served. THEORETICAL ORIENTATIONS Several theoretical perspectives inform the variation of parental discipline styles. Among the more important are the psychoanalytical, role and symbolic interaction theories, learning, bio-sociological, ethological and developmental perspectives. We briefly consider the major thrust of these theories. The psychoanalytic viewpoint suggests that biological (instinctive sexual drives) and unconscious forces regulate the interaction between parent and child. These forces are rooted in the childhood experiences of the parent and find expression during the adult years as integral components of parent-child interaction. Role theorists posit that social institutions are defined by roles into which individuals are fitted. Family roles of father, mother, sister, and brother exist prior to the interpretation and negotiation of role participants (Collins, 1985). This perspective is a derivative of functionalism with its emphasis on the adaptation of institutional norms and values. One implication of role theory is that styles and forms of discipline will be more reflective of the norms and values of social institutions in Guyana than the desires and innovation of parents. Discipline then is a form of social control: society sets the rules, parents and children function in relationship to the expectations of society. In contrast to role theory, symbolic interactionism suggests that roles unfold in a naturalistic environment in which meaning is constantly created by participants (Blumer, 1969). Discipline styles therefore, reflect the creative interpretation of responsibilities associated with the parent-child interaction. Learning theory emphasizes the individual's response to stimuli and mental and psychological processes. Social and environmental stimuli significantly influence the nature and content of the interaction. Accordingly, behavior is learned as parents relate to their children and the larger society. For the learning theorist discipline is essentially a learned behavior (Adams, 1995). The alternative bio-sociological position purports that predispositions predict specific outcomes despite significant social changes that individuals may experience (Adams, 1995). Hence, it is the biological roots of parents that provide one set of expectations that are germane to the parent-child relationship. The ethological notion of parent-child relationship asserts that the father plays the peripheral role and the mother the primary role in the disciplining of children. …