Workplace Injustice and Parenting Practices/Beliefs

• In Event: Drivers of Families and Households

Abstract

Sociologists have long argued that work experiences influence orientations toward one's self and society, and that workplace experiences influence the values that parents impart to their children. Parents who exercise autonomy and authority at work are socialized to view control over oneself as a means to success, and emphasize self-direction in their parenting, while those lacking these opportunities encourage their children to conform to external expectations (Kohn 1969, 1977). This pattern holds over time and across diverse political and economic systems, demonstrating the powerful influence of work experiences on individual well-being and social reproduction. Scholars have delved further into how this process unfolds in families (Lareau 2003 ) and the life course (Mortimer 2007), highlighting connections to class, race, gender, and other attributes, generally focusing on social psychological phenomena (e.g., entitlement versus constraint). The current study merges this emphasis on workplace socialization generalized across institutional spheres with insights from research on relational inequality and workplace injustice, to ask how experiences with workplace injustice influence parenting values and behaviors, including use of harsh and demeaning forms of discipline (i.e., spanking). Nationally representative data from five waves of the General Social Survey collected over the span of nearly two decades demonstrate that relational and procedural injustice in supervisory and organizational practices do indeed shape parenting practices, net of a host of other demographic and other attributes including race, gender, education, religion, region, urban/rural residence, political orientations, year, and intrinsic and extrinsic rewards of work (e.g., autonomy, authority, income, and occupational prestige). Perceive injustice with respect to promotions is associated with practices that foster submission and conformity (spanking and emphasis on hard work). Supervisory withholding of praise for a job well done is associated with increased spanking of children, but appears to reduce parental emphasis on conformity and to increase emphasis on children thinking for themselves. Other findings, along with implications for research on the family and stratification, are discussed.

Author

• Martha Crowley, North Carolina State University