Work

Assortative parenting and assortative cross-parenting: New views of parental preference for selected children

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: Two novel parenting terms are introduced into the literature on parent-child relationships. The first term, assortative parenting, references a familiar, but poorly defined concept regarding parental affinity for a given child. The second term, assortative cross-parenting, denotes a previously unrecognized relationship phenomenon, namely parental attraction to a child who displays favored qualities expressed by the parent's partner. These terms derived from interviews with same-sex couples, but easily apply to heterosexual couples, as well. The proposed concepts and labels should initiate new lines of inquiry that can illuminate unstudied aspects of family dynamics. Given that improved reproductive techniques and revised societal attitudes are continually creating novel family structures, studies of personal relationships and the families in question would benefit by admitting these concepts into ongoing research programs.

Source: Early Human Development

DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2023.105903

Author: Nancy L. Segal

Institution: California State University, Fullerton

Language: English

Topic: Family Dynamics and Relationships

Subfield: Demography

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,440

Funder: University of Minnesota