Understanding the nature and importance of the parent-child relationship

Bibliographic Data

ID7472363
AuthorsEsther Dermott (0000-0003-0427-2591, University of Bristol, corresponding author), Tim Fowler (0000-0003-0378-0631, University of Bristol, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume33
Issue1
Pages20-31
Publication date2026-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueChildhood (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0907-5682 • E-ISSN: 1461-7013
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/09075682251413548
OpenAlexW7117150019
LanguageEN
References cited18

The paper considers the role of parents and the nature of the parent-child relationship. It argues that scholars who have emphasised the agency and independence of children have faced a problem conceptualizing the parental role, since parents can often seem a threat to these ideals. We propose a relational understanding of the parental role, and show how it offers a significant but relationally mediated understanding of children’s agency. The paper explores the advantages of this approach for understanding children’s lives and the development of their values and personhood

Agency (philosophy · Field (mathematics · Independence (probability theory · Natural (archaeology · Children's Rights and Participation · Counseling, Therapy, and Family Dynamics · Family Support in Illness

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Open DOIOpen Access