A recent survey conducted by Everyday Health Group Pregnancy & Parenting provides intriguing insights into how political beliefs may influence parenting styles among American mothers. Conducted between December 2022 and January 2023, the survey involved 3,814 U.S. women aged 18 to 54 who were either pregnant or had children aged 0 to 8 years. It reveals a fascinating correlation between political orientation and parenting approaches, with distinctions emerging among conservative, liberal, and moderate mothers.
The survey found that a majority of the participants, 53 percent, identified as moderate, while 27 percent identified as liberal and 20 percent as conservative. These demographic distinctions correlate with distinct parenting styles. Conservative mothers predominantly describe their parenting as strict, structured, and traditional. On the other hand, liberal mothers are more likely to adopt a hands-off and easygoing approach. Moderate mothers often blend these two approaches, drawing elements from both ends of the spectrum.
Conservative mothers reportedly prioritize imparting values such as respect (53 percent), faith/spirituality (49 percent), and honesty (46 percent) to their children. In contrast, liberal mothers emphasize kindness (56 percent), happiness (55 percent), and empathy (51 percent) as the core values to instill in their offspring. Interestingly, both groups shared similar proportions in describing themselves as fun, involved, protective, and resourceful.
"It's so interesting that parenting styles are more aligned across political ideologies and to me, points to the fact that parenting is the great equalizer," said Dominique De Lope, senior manager of trade insights at Everyday Health Group Pregnancy & Parenting and a facilitator of the survey.
The survey further highlights demographic tendencies among liberal and conservative moms. Liberal mothers are more likely to be Millennials in their late twenties through thirties, reside in suburban areas, hold jobs, and have just one child. Conversely, conservative mothers tend to be Gen Z in their early to mid-twenties, live in rural areas, be stay-at-home moms, and have two or more children.
This alignment between political beliefs and parenting styles resonates with academic insights into the subject.
"You can really learn a lot about a person's political preferences by what they say about their parenting style and what they think is appropriate parenting," noted Daniel Oppenheimer, PhD, a professor of psychology and decision sciences at Carnegie Mellon University.
Oppenheimer also emphasizes the influence of environments on political ideology.
"There is strong evidence that people’s environments influence their political ideology," he added.
He distinguishes the nurturing tendencies of liberal parents.
"He has argued that liberal parents tend to be nurturing, [with] the idea that the world is a dangerous place and people make mistakes, and your job as a parent is to help your child reach their potential by giving them support," Oppenheimer said.
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