Parental expectations in families from different social and cultural groups and their influence on emotional and personal development of a child

Introduction The study explores subjective image attributed by parents to their child that was formed under the influence of different socio-cultural conditions and affects communication with a child. Methodological basis of Vygotsky's scientific school was used in the research. Objectives and methods The study included two groups of families from different social strata: group 1 — middle-high stratum, group 2 — middle-low stratum ( n 1 = 31, n 2 = 36), all the families live in Moscow; the children (5.5–7 years old) attend extracurricular activities. Following methods were used: analysis of social context of child's development; long-term overt and covert observations; analysis of complaints, ambitions and expectations — “a project of future development” of a child imagined by parents followed by reconstruction of their relations that appear to be the basis for the “project”; method of semi-structured interview. Results First group demonstrates high level of irrelevance in subjective extra-positive image of a child. That poses risk for child's emotional and personal development. Families from different strata tend to demonstrate irrelevance between ambitions and real success of a child. First group tend to overstate, 2nd group — to understate. In some cases parents’ mindsets cause emotional peculiarities of the child: individuality and as a result inflated ego, demonstrative behavior accompanied by interest to external attributes. In 2nd group children are mostly anxious and encounter difficulties in demonstration their abilities, but they possess higher level of emotional and personal maturity and social flexibility. Conclusion Socio-cultural features of the stratum influence parental expectations that form potential risk zones in child development. Disclosure of interest The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.