social discourse on parenting in finland

Social discourse on Parenting in Finland

Pasi Kumpulainen

International intensive pilot course on parenting.

International week in SAMK 4th – 8th of May 2015

Content

My point of view to parenting (and parent welfare)

What is social discourse and discourse analysis?

Reflexivity and social discourse

Social discourse on parenting in Finland

Pasi Kumpulainen SAMK 5.5.2015

About this lecture

This lecture is to encourage you to think which meanings and in from which interests, values and ideologies meanings are attached to the persons we call parents.

This lecture is not the only way to see the social discourse on the parenting; you can take more or less critical stance to social discourse.


Preparatory assignment

• What are the main developments in the field of parenting in the social discourse of the participating countries (please orientate upon your country)?

• Is there any new legislation in development in your country which is important in relation to parenting?

• Is there any new governmental/national/regional policy in development in your country in relation to parenting (work with parents)?

• Are there developments in the society which might have an influence/effect upon the work with parents? (think about the impact of politics upon interculturalization in relation to parenting, new composed families, et cetera)


There is no such things as parents. There are only children, young people and families (or homes).


Parent, parenthood, parenting, parent welfare…

Parent (vanhempi, ouder, elder)= identity, role, relationship…?

Parenthood = child – parent relationship

Parenting = activity as a parent / to parent/ care giving / upbringing

In Finnish language: same word ”vanhemmuus” (ouderschap in Dutch) is used to describe both concepts (above)

Parent welfare = help given to parents who need (esp. by the state or an organization)

Parent well-being = parent who feels healthy, satisfied or happy


Child/ welfare, well-being and behaviour

Parent welfare / well-being

Parenting

Effects, interdependency

Context: Society / government

Culture - Parenting culture - Youth culture

Social structure - power, (in)equality, social position

Policy - Parental control on

children - Involvement and

inclusion - Children´s future


What is social discourse Point of view: critical discourse analysis (Wodak & Meyer

2009; Fairclough 2010):

Discourse – as language use in speech and writing – is a form of ´social practice´, and context of language use is crucial

It implies a dialectical relationship between a particular event and the situation(s), institution(s) and social structure

It constitutes situations, objects of knowledge, and the social identities of and relationship between people and groups of people

It is a meaning-making process

Power is important issue, because discourse is socially consequential competition and contradictions


Critical discourse analysis

Critical discourse analysis means to find out and recognize the dialectical relationship between discourse (meanings) and non-discursive elements of social life (which are outcome of social production) , address the ”wrongs” in their discursive aspect and possible ways to righting or mitigating them.

(Fairclough 2010)


Governmental policy documents, legislation etc.

Media (TV, news

papers, journals, advertisements…)

Scientific research

Conventional wisdom and beliefs Esp. family, friends, internet/chat etc.

Political debate

Etc.

Parent, parenthood, parenting, parent welfare as a result of competing meaning making processes

Reflexive parents / care givers!

Professionals


Reflexivity 1

Beck & Giddens & Lash: Reflexive modernization (1994): return of uncertainty

- Traditions and expert knowledge (reflection) are not valid any more the way they were;

- reflexivity refers to self-confrontation of the world (and knowledge) after industrialization: you can´t trust in traditions

Traditions of parenting?

Knowledge about parenting?


Reflexivity 2

Margaret S Archer 2007 and 2012

”At its most basic, reflexivity refers to the fact that all normal people talk to themselves within their own heads, usually silently and from an early age”

- Conscious deliberations through ”internal conversation”


Definition of reflexivity (M. Archer)

”`Reflexivity´ is the regular exercise of the mental ability, shared by all normal people, to consider themselves to their (social) contexts and vice versa”. (Archer 2007, 2012)

”Such deliberations are important since they form the basis upon which people determine their future courses of action – always fallibly and always under their own descriptions”

“The subjective powers of reflexivity mediate the role that objective structural or cultural powers play in influencing social action and are thus indispensable to explain social outcomes”


Social discourse and reflexivity

Social discourse(s) activate the powers of reflexivity of human beings - Dialect

Parents deliberate, think, talk to themselves, and they consider what is said and written on parenting and parent welfare to make their own life projects (e.g. who and when and where you as a parent are allowed to get social support from social services or what is good parenting?)

Awareness of one´s own opportunities and lack of them?


SOCIAL DISCOURSES ON PARENTING IN FINLAND

Which discourses can we recognize in Finland when we speak about parenting?


Partnership discourse

Day care act: meaning is to support to parents

- look: child-centred educational policy targets!

Partnership in early childhood pedagogy: “collaboration, trust, respect and equality”

Basic education act: “schools must collaborate with homes”

Child welfare: early open collaboration culture (methods: dialog, early open collaboration…)

- Client plans with parents


Problem or risk discourse

Parents as a risk to there children:

- Who was in charge of the death of a 8 years old girl who was tortured and suffocated by her care takers (father/step mother)

- Parents with problems with alcohol, drugs and mental health

- Parents who neglect their child

- “tired mothers”, distant fathers

- Etc.


Strong and lost parenthood (parenting) discourse

Strong parenthood:

- “Food, limits and love/ affection”

- Parenting skills – practical guides to be a “good enough” parent

Lost parenthood/ parenting

- Lack of skills –point of view work with families

- Young mothers: what to with the baby?

- Parents (mothers) who don´t want to be a parent or have their child

- Women in their 30s: child or career?

Is parenthood/ parenting “natural” Pasi Kumpulainen SAMK 5.5.2015

Inequality discourse (look: in Finnish http://www.stat.fi/til/tjt/2013/01/tjt_2013_01_2015-03-20_kat_004_fi.html

Child poverty and parenting

About 150 000 children in Finland live in families under poverty line

- Increased since 1990s

- Combination of different factors

- Parental leaves + low income support

- Unemployment (+ single parenthood)

Poverty or low incomes not equate with bad / lost parenting!

Inequality effects your self-esteem as a parent (Wilkinson & Pickett 2009)

Not an interesting issue in election campaign 2015


http://www.stat.fi/til/tjt/2013/01/tjt_2013_01_2015-03-20_kat_004_fi.html






Parenting and economy discourse

From parenting to gender equality discourse

- 6 months/mother + 6 months / father + 6 months by family´s own choice (this was abandoned)

- Parental leave harms the labour market participation of women

- Policy discourse: how to combine work and family life?

no results after many years

- Is day care for children or for parents: unemployed parent should not day care services (because of public costs)

Exception: if there is child protection/ welfare reasons

labelling/ blaming the parent?


Parenting (policy) as social control mechanism?

Is parenting a social mechanism to control the development of children?

- Children´s well-being and growing up to become “good citizens”?

- In Finnish discourses on parenting is little, if at all, references to parents well-being / welfare or position in the society

- Parents are seen from child perspective only parenthood as a responsible relationship to the child

- Responsibility to the child and to the society


Parents and game industry

Parents have the duty to control their children

- nutrition, teaching manners and the best ways to succeed in life, support children in schoolwork etc.

- AND limiting their behaviour like playing with electronic games (in internet especially): too much playing harms child´s wellbeing and success

- BUT: at same time game industry is one of the biggest industries (GPD) today!

- Knowing how to use the software means citizen skills and it´s needed in working life

- What and how to limit?


social discourse on parenting in finland

Presentations & Public Speaking