More than parental support and control: The participation of sons and daughters in parenting Más que apoyo y control parental: La participación de hijos e hijas en la crianza

Abstract

In this work we inquire about parenting practices from a familiar, comprehensible and situated perspective, in three case studies with nuclear, reconstituted and mono-parental types of families from Bogota. The conclusions were drawn with the use of a qualitative multi-methodology that included life stories, thorough interviews and the observation of videotaped family scenes. These conclusions suggest broadening the theoretical references on the topic, which are usually exclusively focused on parenting styles. After analyzing the involvement of sons and daughters in such process, it was possible to identify that they play an essential role in the upbringing/parenting process, which can be evidenced at different family spheres. Finally, a bidirectional comprehension and contextual perspective on the topic is discussed, pointing out that the frequent difficulties that were identified require their approach as a situated process.