Psychology and sociology/9. Development psychology

Chernov D.N., Romaschuk A.N.

The Russian National Research Medical University named after N.I. Pirogov, Russia

The subject-activity approach to the analysis of child-parental relations (on an example of the families which are bringing up senior preschoolers)*

The problem of studying of child-parental relations is actual for modern psychology. Basically child-parental relations are considered in a context of a dyad «mother – child». Thus authors use various concepts for the characteristic, mainly, a parental component of these interrelations. Object of research are: parental relation (Kovalev, 1980; Stolin, 1982; Varga, 1986; Bragina, 2000; Belogay, 2006; Smirnova, Sokolova, 2007), parental positions (Spivakovskaya, 1986; Zhigalin, 2004), parental attitudes (Petrovskiy, 1981), parental love (Milyukova, 2004). In empirical researches revealing and an estimation of styles or types of upbringing prevails (Roe, Siegelman 1963; Baumrind, 1973; Garbuzov, Zakharov, 1977; Spivakovskaya, 1986; Varga, 1986; Filippova, 1999; Eydemiller, Yustitskis, 2000; Smirnova, Sokolova, 2007). At multiplicity of researches of child-parental relations in Russian psychology deficiency in methodological judgment of this question, unfortunately, is observed (Smirnova, Sokolova, 2007). Social psychological workings out in frameworks of the subject-activity approach allow discussed a problem of studying of child-parental relations from the new point of view.

Being guided by the concept of the collective subject (Zhuravlev, 2002), we have offered the subject-activity approach to the analysis of child-parental relations. The child-parental generality becomes the collective subject when the parent and the child have deep requirement for joint activity; the child, depending in the development from active parent participation in the organization of various developing forms of activity, to the greatest degree receives in them possibility for realization of the subject potential. For formation of the collective subject «parent–child» the reflexion by the parent of child possibilities in development, comprehension of necessity of creation of developing sociocultural conditions according to the child individuality is necessary. Researches earlier carried out by us in frameworks of the subject-activity approach have allowed to elicit the fact of that for the Russian dyads «mother – younger preschooler» is characteristic a presubject level of development of a child-parental generality with the absence of express style preferences in upbringing. This formation not only directly positively causes child language development, but also mediates plural biosociocultural influences on formation of language in younger preschool children (Chernov, Ignatov, 2012). The purpose of this paper is to reveal features of functioning of a child-parental generality as the collective subject in the families which are bringing up the senior preschoolers.

Methods. Mothers filled a questionnaire «The analysis of family relationships» (QAFR) (Eydemiller, Yustitskis, 2000) and a questionnaire of parental relations (QPR) (Varga, Stolin, 1989). For an estimation of the general orientation of parent's activity a questionnaire «The person orientation» by V. Smekal – M. Kucher (QPO) (in Osnitskiy, 1996) was used. For diagnostics of propensity of the parent to the reflective relation to its life the questionnaire of diagnostics of reflexivity (QDR) (Carpov, 2003) was used. We created a projective method «The parent and the child are together», intended for diagnostics of child-parental relations as the collective subject (PMCS) (Chernov, 2011). Specificity of child experience of interpersonal relations was investigated by means of a method «Film-test» by R. Zhil (FT) (Gil'yasheva, Ignat'eva, 1994). Children carried out a projective method «Kinetic drawing of a family» (KDF) (Berns, Kaufman, 2003). The statistical analysis was spent by means of Statistics 8.0. The factor analysis is used.

Sample. 106 children at the age of 5 years 6 months – 6 years 7 months (48 girls and 58 boys) and their mothers 25–43 years old involved in research. All children do not visit school.

Results and their discussion. For the purpose of a general concept about structure of child-parental relations the factor analysis of data by methods QAFR, QPR, QPO, QDR, PMCS, FT and KDF is carried out. There are five factors, among which the most important for explaining the variance of estimations a factor «Collective subject “parent – child” with the style of parental relation “the indulging hyperpatronage”». Factor is expressed when mother considers education of the child by the central business of a life, aspires to satisfaction of all child needs, shows to it minimal requirements, alternating excessiveness/minimality of restrictions in a combination to a minimality of sanctions; mother is inclined to expansion of sphere of parental feelings, preference in the child of children's qualities, is inclined to solve problems of matrimonial relations at the expense of the child (QAFR). Thus mother aspires to an establishment co-operative, frequently, symbiotic relations with the child (QPR). For mothers are characteristic: a high level of reflexivity (QDR), collective person orientation (QPO), interaction/interdependency with the child, high intensity and expansion of spheres of joint activity with the child and reflexive relation of parent and child to their life together (PMCS). Let's notice, that it is a formed collective subject «parent – child»: in the presence of interrelation/ interdependence between subjects and the reflective relation, mainly, the parent to the child, the tendency to increase in intensity and expansion of spheres of joint activity of the parent and the child is observed. That is the subject «parent – senior preschooler» is characterized by a «general» sign of the advanced collective subject (Zhuravlev, 2002). Thus the child has a positive attitude to the mother, the father, parents as the couple, significant adults, is inquisitive, moderately contentious, aspires to domination in relations, is sociable and socially adequate (FT), perceives a family situation as favorable (KDF).

Results of research can be used in correction-preventive work with the modern family which is bringing up the child of the senior preschool age. In case of use of the offered model (see figure below) the psychologist receives scientifically proved reference points in psychological and pedagogical work with system the «parent – child» which purpose is formation at the parent of an image of the child as the subject of own course of life and an image of itself as the subject-mediator in mastering by the world of sociocultural relations. It is necessary to let know to the parent, that at the senior preschool age it is necessary to listen sensitively to manifestations of the child individuality and to meet half-way them, creatively reinterpreting and using them for the child personal development. Thus, style of interrelations «the indulging hyperpatronage» becomes the most effective background for formation of a child-parental generality as collective subject. During work the psychologist should induce the parent to formation of strong interrelation with the child on the basis of love, respect and trust, to creation during interaction of a zone of the proximal development for any subject forms of activity of the child for the purpose of creative development of its person as the future creator of the sociocultural spaces, to increase in a specific share of reflective forms dyadic interactions on purpose to learn it to plan, subsequently, joint activity, to supervise a course of its performance and to estimate its results. We consider that this «school» of construction of the collective subject is a necessary condition of development of the child as subject of the course of life, potentially capable to organize the collective subject of educational, professional, economic and any other socially significant activity in the future.

Figure. The model of a child-parental generality as collective subject in the families which are bringing up senior preschoolers.

* Research is executed at RFH financial support of the project of carrying out of scientific researches «Model of sociocultural conditionality of language development in ontogenesis», grant №12-06-00237а.