The purpose of this study was to find the general tendency of perceived neighborhood characteristics among low-income children, and to examine whether perceived neighborhood characteristics was related to parenting style of primary caregiver and peer ...
The purpose of this study was to find the general tendency of perceived neighborhood characteristics among low-income children, and to examine whether perceived neighborhood characteristics was related to parenting style of primary caregiver and peer relational skills. To achieve this purpose, a survey was conducted with 124 low-income children who was attending elementary school in 3rd to 6th grade using self-report questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis.
The results of this study were as follows:
First, Low-income children of this subjects generally perceived their neighborhood characteristics as positive manner. Mostly they had positive perception on neighborhood connection, informal social control, social cohesion and trust. Also they had a strong perception on neighborhood's physical and social disorder as problematic status, and a weak perception on calamity fears in their neighborhood.
Perceived neighborhood characteristics of the low income children appeared differently according to grade, primary caregiver's age, birth order, and the income level of family. As for grade, 3rd and 4th grade children had a higher perception than 5th and 6th grade childen about social cohesion and trust. As for primary caregiver's age, children with primary caregiver who was in 40's age group had a higher perception than with primary caregiver who was in 30's age group and 50-plus age group about neighborhood connection, and children with primary caregiver who was in 40's age group had a higher perception than with primary caregiver who was in 50-plus age group about informal social control. As for birth order, only children had a higher perception than first-born children about neighborhood connection. Also, Absolute low-income children had a higher perception than those in relative low income family about neighborhood connection.
Second, among perceived neighborhood characteristics of low-income children, neighborhood connection and informal social control had a positively effect on both perception of acceptance/involvement and strictness/supervision parenting style. Also, social cohesion and trust had a positively effect on strictness/supervision parenting style, but calamity fears had a positively effect on acceptance/involvement parenting style. From these findings, it was confirmed that positively perceived neighborhood characteristics recognized as informal support system of childrearing.
Third, among perceived neighborhood characteristics of low-income children, informal social control and social cohesion and trust had a positively effect on perception of initiative, cooperation/empathy in peer relational skills. Also, neighborhood connection had a positively effect on initiative, but calamity fears had a positively effect on cooperation/empathy. These findings indicated that initiative and cooperation/empathy in peer relational skills were enhanced by positively perceived neighborhood characteristics.
Seeing from the above results, this study suggested that low-income children who positively perceived neighborhood characteristics were likely to recognize strongly both acceptance/involvement and strictness/supervision in parenting style and to do frequently initiative and cooperation/empathy in peer relational skills. it implied that perceived neighborhood characteristics by low-income children might be the factor that can increase authoritative parenting style and enhance peer relational skills.