Quaker Childbearing Practices and the Tenet of Non-Violence A Sociological Study
Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Social Sciences
First Advisor
Hernandez, Sarah
Keywords
Quaker, Sociology, Childbearing, Non-Violence
Area of Concentration
Sociology
Abstract
The purpose of this thesis is to explore and describe contemporary Quaker childrearing attitudes and practices. I used Qualitative methods and conducted semi- structured interviews with a total of 20 Quaker parents, predominantly white and of the middle class, from two Quaker Meetings in South Florida. These parents include 11 Quakers who have young children who attend Meeting with them at the present time, 7 Quakers who attend meeting, and who have grown children who they raised in a Quaker Meeting, and 3 non-Quaker spouses of parents who attend meeting with their children. My findings suggest that Quaker parents hope that their children will gain the experience of a spiritual, non-violent, socially responsible community by attending Quaker Meetings. I focused on what the parents explicitly teach their children and on the discipline techniques they use, and contrasted the findings for Quaker parents with young children in Meeting, and Quaker parents whose children are fully grown. My findings suggest that the Quaker parents are actively teaching non-violence to their children, and discipline their children in a non-violent manner, however some generational differences in the disciplining practices were evident. This thesis describes how one a selection of Quaker parents attempt to teach their children the skills necessary to live a non-violent lifestyle.
Recommended Citation
Collins, Elizabeth, "Quaker Childbearing Practices and the Tenet of Non-Violence A Sociological Study" (2003). Theses & ETDs. 3216.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/3216
Rights
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