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Self‐Help Books for Parents of Adolescents, 1980–1993
Author(s) -
Smith M Cecil,
Vartanian Lesa R.,
DeFratesDensch Nancy,
Loon Preston C.,
Locke Susan
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
family relations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1741-3729
pISSN - 0197-6664
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-3729.2003.00174.x
Subject(s) - psychology , developmental psychology , adolescent development , parenting styles , scope (computer science) , parenting skills , child development , family life , sociology , gender studies , computer science , programming language
The objective of this descriptive study was to analyze the contents of self‐help books for parents of adolescents that were published from 1980 to 1993. Child developmentalists, counselors, and family life educators endeavor to provide valid information about child and adolescent development to parents through various media, including popular books, in order to assist in parenting. We examined the scope of topics presented and the authors' views about parenting practices to determine the extent to which these parenting books reinforce or debunk cultural stereotypes about adolescents. The most frequently occurring topic across the books concerned the significant role of the family in shaping adolescent development. Although the information presented in these books does not explicitly reinforce stereotypes of adolescence, few authors devoted attention to refuting existing myths.