Self-Esteem in Time and Place

How American Families Imagine, Enact, and Personalize a Cultural Ideal

Nonfiction, Reference & Language, Education & Teaching, Preschool & Kindergarten, Health & Well Being, Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Social Work
Cover of the book Self-Esteem in Time and Place by Peggy J. Miller, Grace E. Cho, Oxford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Peggy J. Miller, Grace E. Cho ISBN: 9780190671648
Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication: November 1, 2017
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: Peggy J. Miller, Grace E. Cho
ISBN: 9780190671648
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication: November 1, 2017
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

The concept of self-esteem is a fixture in the psychological and moral landscape of American society. This is especially true in the arena of childrearing: images and references to self-esteem are ubiquitous in academic, educational, and popular media. Yet, until now, little has been known about what self-esteem means to parents or how self-esteem infiltrates everyday practices. Self-Esteem in Time and Place reveals how self-esteem became a touchstone of American childrearing in the early years of the 21st century. At the heart of this book is the Millennial study, an empirical investigation of diverse families in one Midwestern town. European American, African American, middle-class, and working-class parents of young children embraced self-esteem as a childrearing goal and believed that fostering children's self-esteem was critical to their psychological health and future success. To achieve this goal, they enacted a high maintenance style of childrearing comprised of assiduous monitoring, copious praise, and gentle discipline. These practices differed dramatically from most cultural cases in the ethnographic record. Together, parents and children created an early moment in a child-affirming developmental trajectory. Three-year-olds developed a precocious ability to praise themselves and solicit praise from others. As active participants and inventive agents, children and parents alike engaged in a process of personalization, nuancing their views in light of their social positioning and infusing normative ideas and practices with personal significance. The result is an account of unparalleled depth and nuance that situates childrearing and self-esteem in time and place, traces its roots to 19th century visionaries, and identifies the complex, multi-layered contexts from which this enduring cultural ideal derives its meanings.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The concept of self-esteem is a fixture in the psychological and moral landscape of American society. This is especially true in the arena of childrearing: images and references to self-esteem are ubiquitous in academic, educational, and popular media. Yet, until now, little has been known about what self-esteem means to parents or how self-esteem infiltrates everyday practices. Self-Esteem in Time and Place reveals how self-esteem became a touchstone of American childrearing in the early years of the 21st century. At the heart of this book is the Millennial study, an empirical investigation of diverse families in one Midwestern town. European American, African American, middle-class, and working-class parents of young children embraced self-esteem as a childrearing goal and believed that fostering children's self-esteem was critical to their psychological health and future success. To achieve this goal, they enacted a high maintenance style of childrearing comprised of assiduous monitoring, copious praise, and gentle discipline. These practices differed dramatically from most cultural cases in the ethnographic record. Together, parents and children created an early moment in a child-affirming developmental trajectory. Three-year-olds developed a precocious ability to praise themselves and solicit praise from others. As active participants and inventive agents, children and parents alike engaged in a process of personalization, nuancing their views in light of their social positioning and infusing normative ideas and practices with personal significance. The result is an account of unparalleled depth and nuance that situates childrearing and self-esteem in time and place, traces its roots to 19th century visionaries, and identifies the complex, multi-layered contexts from which this enduring cultural ideal derives its meanings.

More books from Oxford University Press

Cover of the book The Alawis of Syria by Peggy J. Miller, Grace E. Cho
Cover of the book Mecca of Revolution by Peggy J. Miller, Grace E. Cho
Cover of the book The American West: A Very Short Introduction by Peggy J. Miller, Grace E. Cho
Cover of the book Lottery Winner - With Audio Level 1 Oxford Bookworms Library by Peggy J. Miller, Grace E. Cho
Cover of the book Church and State in America by Peggy J. Miller, Grace E. Cho
Cover of the book Fanny Brice : The Original Funny Girl by Peggy J. Miller, Grace E. Cho
Cover of the book The Handbook of Emergent Technologies in Social Research by Peggy J. Miller, Grace E. Cho
Cover of the book Dictators, Democrats, and Development in Southeast Asia by Peggy J. Miller, Grace E. Cho
Cover of the book Life After Grad School by Peggy J. Miller, Grace E. Cho
Cover of the book Gay Men: Oxford Bibliographies Online Research Guide by Peggy J. Miller, Grace E. Cho
Cover of the book Longitudinal Developments in Vocabulary Knowledge and Lexical Organization by Peggy J. Miller, Grace E. Cho
Cover of the book The Taliban Reader by Peggy J. Miller, Grace E. Cho
Cover of the book An Impossible Dream? by Peggy J. Miller, Grace E. Cho
Cover of the book Rome and China by Peggy J. Miller, Grace E. Cho
Cover of the book Consumer Credit and the American Economy by Peggy J. Miller, Grace E. Cho
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy