What is parenting like today compared to the past?

Published: November 12, 2024

Have you ever wondered what childhood was like forty years ago? Or considered how historical and social contexts affect how parents raise children? At the University of Alberta in Canada, Professor Lisa Strohschein is a sociologist analysing quantitative survey data to study how parenting has changed over time.

Talk like a sociologist

Blended family — a family unit containing children from different relationships, such as step-siblings or half-siblings

Egalitarian — the idea that decision-making is a shared responsibility, with individuals encouraged to express their opinion

Hierarchical — the idea that individuals vary in their level of authority, with decision-making restricted to those at the top

Sociology — the study of human society and human interactions

Population-based survey — a survey involving a sample of individuals selected from a larger population

Qualitative data — non-numerical data which measures the quality of something rather than the quantity, often gathered from interviews

Quantitative data — numerical data which provides a measurement or quantity. For example, the temperature, the cost of something or the number of children in a household

According to the World Economic Forum, parents in middle-class families across the world are now spending twice as much time with their children as parents would have done fifty years ago. With influences such as the internet and social media, and societal shifts around work-life balance and what is expected of mothers and fathers, there are many ways parenting has changed and continues to change over time.

“As a sociologist, I study the connections between human behaviour and social context,” explains Professor Lisa Strohschein, a researcher at the University of Alberta studying parenting and parenthood. “People often think that their experiences and their choices in life are unique to them. But really, who we are, how we behave and what we can become are shaped by societal influences, as well as the slice of history we live through.”

How has parenting changed over time?

Firstly, family sizes in Canada are much smaller today. Whereas in 1980, the average age to have a first child was under 25-years-old, most Canadian women now become mothers over the age of 30. They are having children later and having fewer children.

Secondly, family groups are more complex and diverse, with more children growing up in single-parent households, same-sex parent households and blended families.

Thirdly, the shift in gender dynamics and social expectations has led to more women working and spending more time away from the home. More families are having to balance paid work and childcare, and less pressure is being placed solely on mothers to raise children.

Finally, parents today are raising children in an age of the internet and social media. The internet can provide helpful parenting forums and communities, but it can also bring an overwhelming number of contradictory opinions. “Is it better to be a ‘free-range’ parent who engages in minimal supervision and encourages their child to be independent, or should one strive to be a ‘snow plough’ parent who shields their child from perceived threats and challenging situations?” asks Lisa.

How does Lisa study parenting?

To study how these changes are affecting families and what aspects of parenting are shifting, Lisa looks at quantitative data. “My research methods involve analysing data from large, population-based surveys that ask parents and children about their families,” she explains.

The two quantitative data methods that Lisa uses are longitudinal studies and cross-sectional studies. Longitudinal studies involve observing the same group of people over an extended period of time. “Following a sample of families over time can help us to understand within-family change,” says Lisa.

Cross-sectional studies involve collecting data on many different individuals at a single point in time, such as asking parents in different time periods about how they parent and what matters to them. “This method makes social change visible,” says Lisa.

What has Lisa found so far?

Lisa’s cross-sectional studies have shown that parents are much more involved in their children’s lives now than parents typically were forty years ago. “This phenomenon is called the ‘intensification of parenting’,” explains Lisa. Nowadays, parents spend much more time with their children and structure more of their children’s lives. Parents also value their children’s perspectives more. “Rather than conforming to the hierarchical structure of families of the past, parent-child relationships have become more egalitarian,” explains Lisa.

Another interesting finding from Lisa’s work came from tracking parenting behaviour before and after a divorce. “My research findings refuted a longstanding myth that parental divorce reduces parental attentiveness and affection towards their children,” explains Lisa. “These, and related findings, make clear that parents constantly adjust their own practices to better meet the evolving needs of their children.”

What impact does Lisa’s research have?

Reference
https://doi.org/10.33424/FUTURUM546

Research shows that parents are now spending more time with their children.
© Evgeny Bakharev/Shutterstock.com
Families today are more diverse. For example, more children have same-sex parents.
© Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com
In Canada, women today are having children later than in previous years.
© PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock.com
Expectations have changed, and fathers are more involved in parenting today.
© Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com
Parent-child relationships have become more egalitarian.
© NDAB Creativity/Shutterstock.com

By looking at how parenting has shifted over time, Lisa’s work helps people to realise that each era of parenting has its own challenges and rewards, and that there are no fixed ideas of what parenting should or should not look like. “This can be liberating for people who may feel pressure to parent in a certain way,” says Lisa. “At a societal level, it can also prompt the formulation of new policies to help parents navigate the current challenges of raising the next generation.”

Like all sociological research, Lisa’s work contributes to developing a more complete understanding of how our society works, as well as how it is changing and why. “A society is successful when it properly prepares the next generation to inhabit a future that does not yet exist,” says Lisa. “Ultimately, studying how we parent our children reveals what we value most as a society and gives us a glimpse into what our collective future holds.”

Professor Lisa Strohschein
Department of Sociology, University of Alberta, Canada

Fields of research: Family dynamics and health, health inequalities

Research project: Studying the changing dynamics of parenthood in Canada

Funder: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada

This work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada under award number 435-2019-1025. The comments are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the funder.

About sociology

Sociology is a social science that involves studying how human societies form and develop, the processes and changes that happen within them, and the relationships between social groups. It overlaps various fields, such as psychology, social anthropology, political science, social policy and economics.

Similar to how a scientist might use a scientific approach to understand how particles interact with one another and which chemical reactions are taking place, sociologists use a social-scientific approach to understand what human behaviour is and what patterns have formed or changed over time. While it often feels like what is happening in our lives is purely individual, the truth is that some difficulties are collective problems which can be explained by bigger societal issues and improved by better social policy.

What does Lisa find rewarding about research in her field?

“I am always amazed by the insights to be found in researching families. Although I am a quantitative researcher who primarily uses survey and administrative data, I have a deep appreciation of the qualitative and historical methods that researchers rely on to uncover how people come to define who is ‘family’ and how they ‘do’ family. The findings from these methods often fuel new research questions to address in my own work.”

What research opportunities will be open to the next generation of sociologists?

“We are living in a time where there is a massive amount of data with which to study families and a corresponding increase in computing capacity to analyse those data. The next generation of sociologists will provide deep insight into many different facets of parenting behaviour, which I hope will translate into policies that are fully attuned to the diverse and complex nature of modern families,” says Lisa.

Pathway from school to sociology

“To pursue sociology, you can benefit from courses in history, geography, social studies, and career and life management,” says Lisa. “Though these subjects may differ in their emphasis, they will all help you to gain a broader view of the world and your place in it.”

To become a sociologist, study an undergraduate degree in sociology or a similar social-science field, such as social policy, anthropology, psychology or political science. You will then need to pursue a master’s degree or PhD if you want to work in sociology research.

Learn as much about the field as you can from reading news articles on social policy and social change. There are several on the University of Alberta’s Sociology Department news page, including this one featuring Lisa.

“The University of Alberta hosts an Open House every year for high school students and their parents to learn more about the many different programmes and degrees that are available,” says Lisa. There is also an online, virtual info-night and campus tour for Canadian high school students. Find out more.

Explore careers in sociology

Lisa recommends not being discouraged from studying sociology if you are unsure of which specific careers it can lead to. “You might think of becoming a doctor or lawyer because you can more easily visualise such careers. However, if you graduate with a degree in sociology, you could pursue a wide variety of jobs, including policy analyst, radio producer, child care worker, police officer and market researcher, to name a few. Being able to recognise the links between the personal and the social is a skill valued by many different kinds of employers,” says Lisa.

Visit the American Sociological Association website, which includes a great video of sociologists describing sociology.

Read this Forbes Advisor article on sociology-related career paths.

According to Salary Expert, the average salary for a sociologist in Canada is $89,000 CAD.

Q&A

Meet Lisa

What inspired you to become a sociologist?

I entered university with a passion for learning, but with little idea of what I wanted to do with my life. All that changed when I took a sociology course. I began to realise that seeing the interconnections between private troubles and public issues was a powerful way to push for social change and make the world a better place.

What experiences have shaped your career?

I sometimes think that my career path has been marked by chance occurrences that, in hindsight, have been pivotal to moving my career forward. I’ve also been blessed by wonderful mentors who have both inspired and guided me.

What are your proudest career achievements so far?

I’ve been fortunate to be the recipient of several prestigious teaching and research awards over the course of my career. I take tremendous pride in each of them, but the awards I treasure most are those that were student-nominated. It is very meaningful to know that students feel that their lives have been positively impacted by my teaching.

What are your aims for the future?

My goal is to keep doing what I am doing. I am the author of two textbooks that are regularly revised to keep up with new trends and world events. I find joy in encouraging students to become critical thinkers and lifelong learners. And, I will continue conducting research that further reveals the unique dynamics of Canadian families in the twenty-first century.

Lisa’s top tip

Find what you are passionate about, and pursue that passion with everything you have. It will yield a life that you never expected and won’t ever regret.

Do you have a question for Lisa?
Write it in the comments box below and Lisa will get back to you. (Remember, researchers are very busy people, so you may have to wait a few days.)

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Read about social policy research into childcare services:

www.futurumcareers.com/why-good-childcare-provision-is-important-for-gender-equality