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Sociology Colloquium, 9/29/2021

Mexican Immigrant Parenting in Under-Resourced Latinx School-Communities at a Time of Strict Immigration Enforcement: An Ecological Approach

Dr. David Rangel, Brown University

Numerous studies have pointed to class-based cultural beliefs as the primary driver of childrearing and school-involvement practices (Lareau 2003; Calarco 2018). However, this focus on class-based differences homogenizes potential within-group variation and neglects how broader social forces can intersect to influence childrearing. Drawing on interview data with 30 parents from 17 Mexican immigrant households with elementary-aged children in San Antonio, Texas, and Phoenix, Arizona, this paper qualitatively examines parenting practices and beliefs, and factors that structure them. Our interview data highlights how parents engaged in a range of childrearing practices not solely determined by class-based cultural values. Instead, contextual factors such as legal status, hostile immigrant contexts, and language (in)accessibility shaped parents’ interactions with schools, teachers, and their children. These contextual factors obscure fundamental childrearing beliefs and highlight how social and policy environments shape parenting in structurally disadvantaged contexts and their resulting inequalities.

September 29, 2021
Wednesday, 12–1:30pm
Zoom session
Meeting ID: 991 7850 6546
Passcode: 560287

If you cannot join with video, you can connect to the Zoom session via phone: 1–346–248–7799