The value of children to parents and childrearing patterns.

A theory is proposed to explain cross-cultural differences in childrearing orientations which holds that the value of children to parents conceptualized in terms of needs that children satisfy affects parenting attitudes and behavior. Data from nationally representative samples of married men and women in eight countries were used to explore this hypothesis and to test hypotheses from previous theories. Responses indicating the satisfactions of parenthood were coded according to the needs children satisfy. These were related to parental goals for children at school-age and when adult. The data suggest that valuing children for their economic-utility goes with seeking obedience and among the more educated wanting sons to have good jobs. When children are wanted for their love and companionship parents seek congenial children; when they are wanted to strengthen the marriage independence is a parental goal. Most of the respondents who viewed parenthood as satisfying achievement needs sought moral virtue in their children but the more educated wanted excellence in school performance. Wanting children to carry on the family line was associated with stress on their future family roles. The analysis indicated that the proposed theory was viable. It was seen as an addition to the existing theories not a substitute since the various explanations focus on different but interacting processes. (authors)