An Emic, Mixed-Methods Approach to Defining and Measuring Positive Parenting Among Low-Income Black Families

Abstract

Research Findings This within-group exploratory sequential mixed methods investigation sought to identify how ethnically diverse, urban-residing, low-income Black families conceptualize positive parenting. During the item development phase 119 primary caregivers from Head Start programs participated in focus groups and interviews. These qualitative data were content analyzed using a three-stage iterative process that resulted in the development of a final set of 72 items for a paper-and-pencil measure. In the measure validation phase of the study initial construct validity of the 72-item measure was assessed with an independent sample of 665 respondents. Common factor analyses revealed five dimensions of positive parenting on the Black Parenting Strengths in Context (BPSC) scale that related in expected ways with other parent self-report measures. Practice and Policy BPSC dimensions provide initial support for a more nuanced operationalization of positive parenting than currently exists in any single scale for use with this group, and hold promise for better honoring the culture- and context-specific parenting goals and practices that low-income, Black parents subjectively view as important for producing healthy developmental outcomes for their children.

Parenting Together: Understanding the Shared Context of Positive Parenting Among Low-Income Black Families

“…This study of positive parenting draws on the integrative sociocultural framework (García Coll et al, 1996;Velez-Agosto et al, 2017) in three key regard. First, in keeping with this model as it applies to parenting, we leveraged an emic lens on positive parenting (Nagayama Hall et al, 2016) by attending to caregivers' endorsements of positive parenting dimensions that were derived with a heterogeneous sample of urban-residing, low-income, Black parents of preschool-aged children (McWayne et al, 2017). Second, in contrast to studies of parenting that focus on a single caregiver, we attended to the reality that children tend to be raised in contexts where they are cared for by more than one primary caregiver.…”

“…Positive parenting. Caregivers' positive parenting practices were assessed using the BPSC scale (McWayne et al, 2017). The BPSC is a 72-item multidimensional rating scale designed to reflect positive parenting practices as described by caregivers from low-income Black families.…”

“…Positive parenting practices reflect the core values that caregivers see as effective in raising their children (Elliott et al, 2015). Although scholarship on positive parenting among Black families is limited, extant work consistently finds that, in Black families, positive parenting focuses on fostering children's socioemotional, spiritual, and academic well-being and their racial and ethnic identity (e.g., Barnes, 2001;McWayne et al, 2017). The "socialemotional" domain of positive parenting emphasizes the parent-child relational bond (e.g., expressions of warmth), parents' support of positive behaviors and correction of those deemed negative, and parents' efforts to foster character strengths and relational skills (e.g., showing empathy; Barbarin et al, 2005;LeCuyer & Swanson, 2017;Oravecz et al, 2008).…”

“…Participants were part of a larger measure development study that included 720 caregivers (see McWayne et al, 2017). Participants were recruited from 11 urban Head Start programs that served over 75% Black families in three boroughs of New York City.…”

“…Despite this within-group ethnoracial diversity, family research continues to treat individuals who identify as Black 1 as belonging to a racially homogenous group (Hill et al, 2005). This homogenous view of Black families is exacerbated by overreliance on between-race comparisons that conflate racial/ethnic differences with socioeconomic status (i.e., White middle-class vs. Black low-income) and then portray caregiving practices within low-income, Black families as harsh, disorganized, and harmful (Lee, 2013; McWayne et al, 2017).…”