Family Context, Parenting and Child Development: An Epigenetic Approach

Florencia Barreto-Zarza and Enrique B. Arranz-Freijo
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Florencia Barreto-Zarza: Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 20018 San Sebastian, Spain
Enrique B. Arranz-Freijo: Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 20018 San Sebastian, Spain

Social Sciences, 2022, vol. 11, issue 3, 1-13

Abstract: This paper presents an essay that uses an epigenetic approach to attain an inclusive and in-depth understanding of the influence of family context and quality of parenting on children’s psychological development. Based on the identification of a key developmental process in which interactions are continuously internalised, the approach draws attention to the bidirectional and systemic nature of intrafamily and parenting interactions and highlights the multiple factors that influence them, which are linked to the developmental history of the species, the individual characteristics of both the child and their parents, and contextual variables. In response to these internalised interactions, the body activates epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, which may affect the phenotypic expression of the genome. Theoretical and methodological implications are discussed in light of the current process of identifying the biological profiles underlying negative and positive parenting practices. Some insights are offered regarding the challenges and opportunities that parents and policymakers should address in the 21st century in connection with the promotion of positive parenting, taking into account the epigenetic processes triggered by adverse environments for children and their families.

Keywords: parent–child interactions; parenting; early childhood development; epigenetics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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