Social class and parenting children with mild and moderate mental retardation

Based on Kohn's (1977) and Gecas' (1979) theories of social class and parenting values, the role of socioeconomic status (SES) as a determinant of parenting attitudes and behaviors and as a moderator of problems associated with raising children with handicaps was evaluated among 171 families raising a child with mild or moderate mental retardation. Self-report measures assessed mothers' and fathers' attitudes regarding control, independence, and closeness within the family, and parental and family problems. Supportive, aversive, and controlling parent-child interactions were observed in the home. As expected, higher SES was associated with parental attitudes and behaviors related to fostering independent initiative in the family, and lower SES parents exhibited relatively more controlling and negative behaviors. However, regardless of SES, controlling parental behaviors also were responsive to the level of functioning of the child with mental retardation. Consistent with an hypothesis about violations of SES-related values, negative and controlling interactions with the child were more highly correlated with the parents' reports of parental and family problems for upper SES as opposed to lower SES parents. Several models of SES and family adaptation are discussed.