Citation

Moullin S, Waldfogel J, Washbrook E. Fam. Relatsh. Soc. 2018; 7(2): 265-284.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, University of Bristol Policy Press)

DOI

10.1332/204674317X15071998786492

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A growing literature connects childhood socio-emotional skills to adult socio-economic outcomes. But what explains differing levels of socio-emotional skills? Current theories consider parental investment and socialisation, but neglect the emotional and relational aspects of parenting. Attachment theory offers a model of the micro-level mechanisms that connect parenting processes and socio-emotional development intergenerationally. It has, however, tended to de-emphasise macro, contextual socio-economic factors. Through an extensive, integrative review of the empirical literature on the effects and antecedents of parent-child attachment, we argue that attachment is a mechanism through which socio-emotional - and socio-economic - (dis)advantages persist.

Keywords: ATTACHMENT; EARLY CHILDHOOD; INTERGENERATIONAL TRANSMISSION; NON-COGNITIVE; PARENTING; SOCIO-EMOTIONAL

Document Type: Research Article

Affiliations: 1: Email: smoullin@princeton.edu 2: Email: jw23@columbia.edu 3: Email: liz.washbrook@bristol.ac.uk

Language: en