Liberal or conservative, study says parenting a factor

Parenting, according to a recent study, plays an instrumental role on a child's view of politics when they enter the stage of adulthood.

There is a saying that we are usually the products of our living environments, personal experiences, and many interactions. Perhaps this could be the truth in regards to many things. Combinations of these factors shape how we live our lives and see the world. In regards to politics, this is by no means an exception. Those three factors can be definitely applied to politics. With so many different political issues (foreign policy, domestic policy, economics, business, same-sex marriage, etc.) out there, these factors can play a vital role in how we view things. In this election, it could affect whether one voter will gravitate towards United States President Barack Obama or his GOP rival Mitt Romney in the 2012 Elections set to take place on November 6. Parenting is no exception to those factors. According to a LiveScience article, which in turn has been posted on other outlets such as Huffington Post, the styles of parents could play an instrumental and crucial role in the mindset of a child and into adulthood. Data was collected from a study by the National Institute on Child Health and Human Development Study. 708 children participated in the study. The data was collected by a team from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. According to the team, those raised by authoritarian parents would grow up to have conservative views while those raised by egalitarian parents would grow up to have liberal views. Dr. R. Chris Fraley, who authored the study, talked with the Star in a recent article. According to Fraley, those that were very conservative at the age of 18 highly likely to be white and come from lower class families. Furthermore, according to Fraley, restless high-activity children were more likely to have a liberal mindset. In short, the way you were brought up could play a role in how you would vote on many different things. This can range from who gets elected or re-elected, gun rights, LGBT rights, and so forth. It can affect your views on many issues. One such issue could be race. Recently, a new Associated Press poll found that America has become slightly more racist than before. Negative attitude towards blacks, according to the recent AP poll, has increased a bit. In the same poll, negative attitude towards Hispanics has increased as well. Also, one has to think about parenting in regards to “tiger mother” or “tiger father.” The debate of parenting in the United States ignited in a social storm due to post made by Amy Chua on the Wall Street Journal called “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior To American Mothers.” This article was to be a prelude to the release of her book called “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.” It sparked a global debate on parenting. In a sense, the children of tiger parents could end up being conservative. This is coupled with the recent study of children with authoritarian parents. Also, there was a recent story about an “Eagle Dad.” He Liesheng, the “Eagle Dad,” is classified as an extreme parent. Liesheng forced his 4-year old child, Duoduo, to sail solo in a dinghy at that young of an age. He even made his child to climb Mount Fuji. According to Liesheng, he justifies this because Duoduo suffered from jaundice and pneumonia. Regardless of his “eagle parenting,” he does not want his son to suffer from disabilities when he grows up. People across China criticized Liesheng's parenting style. A recent article in the British publication The Telegraph states that the “Tiger Mother” is myth in China. The article's author talks about spending her fifth year in China. The parents, especially mothers, are either too busy working or more tame when parenting children. In regards to Liesheng's son Duoduo, what will his political views be when he becomes an adult? Also, there is further information that should be factored in. The information revolves around introverts and extroverts. Susan Cain, a former Wall Street lawyer, gave a TED talk in regards to introverts. Cain has recently authored a book called “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking.” Is it Obama or Romney? The way you were brought up could play the vital role in your decision at the polls.