	Background The idea for a seminar series ‘Changing Parenting Culture’ emerged from discussions at a conference held in May 2007 at the University of Kent titled 'Monitoring Parents: Childrearing in the Age of Intensive Parenting' (see http://www.parentingculturestudies.org/conference.html for more about this event)
The event brought together scholars from a wide range of disciplines with research users, and generated energetic debate. Since May 2007 an informal network of colleagues has been established, Parenting Culture Studies (PCS). Those involved in PCS have, since May 2007, continued to exchange ideas electronically, and disseminate their work via this website. Also, where possible, they have organised further events (see for example http://www.parentingculturestudies.org/whats-new.html) One of the principal achievements of our network has been to establish the study of 'parenting cultures' as an important enterprise in its own right. We take the view that child-rearing as a social activity needs to be distinguished from ‘parenting’ and the culture that surrounds it. It is widely recognised that the role and meaning of parenthood has changed during the past two decades. Child-rearing has expanded to encompass a growing range of activities that were not previously seen as an obligatory dimension of this task. Our associates have identified this emerging trend as exercising a decisive impact on the mothering role and more broadly on child-rearing. Our deliberations so far also suggest that parenting culture in this form has a profound impact on the constitution of mothering and fathering identity as well on the relationship amongst parents. How mothers and fathers manage and perform these identities is one of the themes that binds colleagues involved with this network together. The expansion of the child-rearing role has also encouraged the belief that ‘parenting’ is a problematic sphere of social life. Indeed, ‘parenting’ is almost always discussed as a social problem. Many social actors have sought in this context to turn child-rearing into an object of policy making, encouraging the emergence of the activity 'parenting'. Our seminars will directly address the practical and cultural significance of this politicisation of child-rearing and for the lived experience of mothers and fathers. In sum, the principal aim of the proposed seminar series is to explore the way that the cultural meaning of parenting has expanded and how it has become an object expertise and policy making. Through a series of conversations we hope to focus on the impact of this development on the working of specific child-rearing related activities such as infant feeding, sleeping, socialisation etc.

Background

The idea for a seminar series ‘Changing Parenting Culture’ emerged from discussions at a conference held in May 2007 at the University of Kent titled 'Monitoring Parents: Childrearing in the Age of Intensive Parenting' (see http://www.parentingculturestudies.org/conference.html for more about this event)

The event brought together scholars from a wide range of disciplines with research users, and generated energetic debate. Since May 2007 an informal network of colleagues has been established, Parenting Culture Studies (PCS). Those involved in PCS have, since May 2007, continued to exchange ideas electronically, and disseminate their work via this website. Also, where possible, they have organised further events (see for example http://www.parentingculturestudies.org/whats-new.html)

One of the principal achievements of our network has been to establish the study of 'parenting cultures' as an important enterprise in its own right. We take the view that child-rearing as a social activity needs to be distinguished from ‘parenting’ and the culture that surrounds it.

It is widely recognised that the role and meaning of parenthood has changed during the past two decades. Child-rearing has expanded to encompass a growing range of activities that were not previously seen as an obligatory dimension of this task. Our associates have identified this emerging trend as exercising a decisive impact on the mothering role and more broadly on child-rearing. Our deliberations so far also suggest that parenting culture in this form has a profound impact on the constitution of mothering and fathering identity as well on the relationship amongst parents. How mothers and fathers manage and perform these identities is one of the themes that binds colleagues involved with this network together.

The expansion of the child-rearing role has also encouraged the belief that ‘parenting’ is a problematic sphere of social life. Indeed, ‘parenting’ is almost always discussed as a social problem. Many social actors have sought in this context to turn child-rearing into an object of policy making, encouraging the emergence of the activity 'parenting'.

Our seminars will directly address the practical and cultural significance of this politicisation of child-rearing and for the lived experience of mothers and fathers.

In sum, the principal aim of the proposed seminar series is to explore the way that the cultural meaning of parenting has expanded and how it has become an object expertise and policy making. Through a series of conversations we hope to focus on the impact of this development on the working of specific child-rearing related activities such as infant feeding, sleeping, socialisation etc.

Changing Parenting Culture

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