American Sociological Review, Vol. 39, No. 1 (Feb., 1974), pp. 68-85
Abstract
In 1958, in his review of available literature on socialization and social class, Bronfenbrenner concluded that working class parents more often use physical punishment, while the middle class resorts to psychological techniques of punishment. The present paper updates this analysis drawing on more recent published studies and on secondary analysis of a national survey; it also examines the magnitude of class differences rather than only their statistical significance. This analysis suggests that, although various studies have found a statistically significant relationship, the relationship is weak. Analysis by type of indicator of punishment, quality of sample, age of children, or year of study does not alter this conclusion, However, none of the studies is definitive and suggestions are offered about topics to be pursued in future research.
