Children's participation in structured activities in the context of the child-rearing strategies of Russian-speaking women: class and migration status

2016. No. 01.

Akifyeva R. N.

This research studies the child-rearing strategies of Russian-speaking women who live in Madrid by focusing on their children's participation in structured activities. The study answers the following questions: what attitudes to structured activities do the women have, what determined their choice of structured activities, what are the differences in such choices between working-class and middle-class families? The results are based on semi-structured interviews with Russian-speaking women (26 interviews) whose children attend after- or pre- school programs for Russian children, as well as with the teachers or coordinators of these programs (4 interviews). The findings make it possible to formulate conclusions that the class differences in the activities of children are determined by structural factors rather than the cultural logics of parents. All parents reproduce the idea that organized activity has a beneficial effect on a child's development, although they differ in their views on what kind of activities can bring benefits.

Keywords: Parenting practices, extracurricular activities, social class, практики родительства, after-school activities, Russian-speaking migrants, русскоязычные мигранты, внеучебная активность, child-rearing strategies, structured activities, стратегии воспитания, стили воспитания

Publication based on the results of: (Не)/структурированная активность детей в контексте образовательных практик родительства русскоязычных женщин в Мадриде и Санкт-Петербурге (2016)