Strengthening the Pedagogic Civil Society: a study on shared responsibilities in childrearing between parents and neighbors

Abstract

The numbers of families depending on professional care regarding mental health and childrearing keep growing. A solution was found in strengthening the Pedagogic Civil Society by increasing shared childrearing responsibilities among parents and neighbors. This research provides theoretical foundations to develop interventions that aim to mobilize parents and neighbors to share childrearing responsibilities. With a questionnaire among 76 Dutch parents, the relationship between a strong social network with their neighbors and practices of shared childrearing responsibilities was studied. In addition, the relationship between the strength of their social network and the actions that can be done to share childrearing responsibilities was researched. With six in-depth interviews the parents’ personal motives, beliefs and concerns regarding shared childrearing responsibilities with their neighbors were studied. It was found that certain childrearing responsibilities can be shared between parents and neighbors notwithstanding the strength of their social network. However, for other childrearing responsibilities to be shared, a stronger social network between parents and neighbors is desired. The results of this study implicated that similarities between parenting styles of parents and neighbors were found to be an important predictor to sharing childrearing responsibilities.