The social construction of appropriate parenting in the area of paediatrics. Social control, expertise and common sense

Journal title SOCIOLOGIA DEL DIRITTO
Author/s Anna Rosa Favretto
Publishing Year 2013 Issue 2013/2 Language Italian
Pages 26 P. 131-156 File size 269 KB
DOI 10.3280/SD2013-002006
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This article presents the results of a research project that explored the social construction of appropriate parenting in the area of paediatrics. Parents have to show appropriate competence when reacting to their children’s states of health and illness and subject their suitability for their role as parents to the evaluation of paediatricians and of "significant others". Considering illness to be a significant factor for social order, the project collected opinions from paediatricians and parents about the characteristics of appropriate parenting with regard to health. These include knowing how to draw on one’s own experience, on informal networks and on one’s own "natural abilities", which are considered to be a prerogative, especially of the mother; the ability to understand the seriousness of symptoms, so as to contact a paediatrician when necessary; and the ability to use common-sense remedies, recognising the importance of relations, and the cures prescribed by experts, enabling the paediatrician to foster parents’ natural, innate gifts.

Keywords: Health - Illness - Social control - Appropriate parenting - paediatricians

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  • Representations of parenting and the neo-liberal discourse: parents’ and professionals’ views on child-rearing practices in Italy Silvia Fargion, in Journal of Family Studies /2023 pp.188
    DOI: 10.1080/13229400.2021.1905049

Anna Rosa Favretto, La costruzione sociale della "genitorialità adeguata" in ambito pediatrico. Controllo sociale, saperi esperti e saperi di senso comune in "SOCIOLOGIA DEL DIRITTO " 2/2013, pp 131-156, DOI: 10.3280/SD2013-002006