The Time to Love: Ideologies of Good Parenting at a Family Service Organization in the Southeastern United States

The purpose of this research is to understand definitions of what it means to be a “good” parent as described by parents and child development specialists at a family service organization in the Southeastern United States. Previous research on social reproduction and concerted cultivation have opened up pathways to understanding how social and economic inequality manifest in family life and the social structures of which they are a part. This ethnographic study is an effort to contribute to an anthropology of parenting by unveiling the ways that definitions of “good” parenting in middle-class and wealthy communities reflect time-intensive, attachment-based ideologies that are also encouraged by child development professionals. Through a mixed-methods approach, including participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and electronic questionnaire, the author describes how parental beliefs about spending time with children and focusing on developmental milestones become central to ideas about “good” parenting. This widespread ideology is situated within a broader social and economic context to suggest that a system of inequality emerges when parents with less time, knowledge, and other resources are not able to access time-intensive parenting practices in the same way as parents more social and economic capital

Rapid Ethnographic Assessment of Pandemic Restrictions in Child Welfare: Lessons from Parent and Provider Experiences

This paper analyzes policy and practice changes implemented by the child welfare system in Miami-Dade County in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Rapid ethnographic assessment (REA) was used to capture multiple perspectives during a rapidly unfolding pandemic. We identified system vulnerabilities and opportunities for lessening the impact of crises on vulnerable families with children in foster care. The assessment highlights how system fragmentation complicates effective responses to public health emergencies, while the transition to remote services provides insight into ways that traditional accessibility barriers may be alleviated beyond the pandemic. We provide recommendations for improving family experiences and preparing for future crises, envisioning ways that peer specialists, in particular, may offer a model for enhanced family support. This study emphasizes the unique benefits of anthropological theory and applied methods in assessing and improving public sector systems