The evolution of trends in child discipline advice in Europe and the USA from World War II until 2010.

Modern academic and popular literature contains an abundance of parenting advice. One of the most controversial issues is child discipline. This paper presents a historical overview of the trends in experts’ discipline recommendations between the 1940s and 2010. It focuses on three delineated directions which emerged post-World War II: the permissive revolution, attachment research, and the politicization of parenting. The paper sought to establish their development throughout the years, considering the changes in reasoning which underpinned the advice. Six secondary sources were identified through searching scientific and popular platforms (i.e. Scopus, Google Scholar, Google Books and Archive). These were used to identify 46 suitable primary childrearing publications which were selected based on publication date, format, addressee, and purpose. The results revealed that each of the examined trends underwent notable evolution. Permissiveness was initially acclaimed as a respite...Show moreModern academic and popular literature contains an abundance of parenting advice. One of the most controversial issues is child discipline. This paper presents a historical overview of the trends in experts’ discipline recommendations between the 1940s and 2010. It focuses on three delineated directions which emerged post-World War II: the permissive revolution, attachment research, and the politicization of parenting. The paper sought to establish their development throughout the years, considering the changes in reasoning which underpinned the advice. Six secondary sources were identified through searching scientific and popular platforms (i.e. Scopus, Google Scholar, Google Books and Archive). These were used to identify 46 suitable primary childrearing publications which were selected based on publication date, format, addressee, and purpose. The results revealed that each of the examined trends underwent notable evolution. Permissiveness was initially acclaimed as a respite from the behaviourist idealisation of obedience but quickly began being seen as unsustainable and potentially provoking maladjustment. Nevertheless, it was not fully rejected and presently informs the more balanced discipline approaches such as positive parenting. Attachment-based advice evolved from concerns engendered by wartime evacuation to a fascination with primal bonding and tribal cultures, and towards the modern forms of attachment parenting. The post-war popularity of democratic methods of parenting faded with the impending threat of the Cold War as overly liberal rearing was seen as politically dangerous. By the end of the 20th century, references to such aspects of parenting were no longer present in most manuals. The findings of the current study findings have implications for both academic and popular understanding of many of the discipline practices researched and recommended today.Show less

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The evolution of trends in child discipline advice in Europe and the USA from World War II until 2010.