Hi Nancy. "The social conservatives should also acknowledge that they would rather believe that I and others like me deserve to have emotionally/cognitively harmed children."
I doubt this would be the case for social conservatives, at least if there is nothing wrong with them. Most people, especially those with children, would not, I imagine, wish that some children be "emotionally/cognitively harmed". Even from an entirely selfish perspective (which being socially conservative does not imply), it would be better to wish/hope that such would not be the case where divorce, daycare, constantly moving, drugs, alchohol, poverty, etc. are concerned since such damage effects society as a whole. I think the comparison is intended to be between a healthy, happy, intact family compared with one which suffers divorce and or has kids in daycare from an early age. Just because the kids may be "doing fine", doesn't imply no damage was done. If psychology is willing to concede that a family enmeshed in drug or alchohol abuse has a negative effect on children then it is at least conceivable that divorce and daycare could also have a negative effect. --Mike On Mon, Nov 2, 2009 at 10:08 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > On the other hand this sword cuts both ways, and there are many people who > apparently want to read that those who choose to divorce rather than live > miserably together (something that also, quite plausibly, has bad effects on > children) or place their kids in day care so they can work to support their > families and be emotionally and intellectually satisfied (because plausibly > an unhappy, intellectually frustrated and financially strapped mother might > have bad effects on her children too) are inevitably going to be punished > with the certain knowledge that they've harmed their children irreparablly. > > Yes, I am a divorced, working mother and I acknowledge that I would rather > believe that my daughter (who has had free access to both her parents, > because our divorce was amicable) is happier or at least not affected one > way or the other because I did not remain in my very unhappy marriage and > chose to work so I can use my talents as fully as possible. The social > conservatives should also acknowledge that they would rather believe that I > and others like me deserve to have emotionally/cognitively harmed children. > > Nancy Melucci > Long Beach City College > Long Beach CA > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Michael Smith <[email protected]> > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) <[email protected]> > Sent: Mon, Nov 2, 2009 7:58 pm > Subject: Re: [tips] Article in WSJ on study how brain develops "without > Dad." > > oops > At the end of my last post I meant to say that I don't know the > literature but it seems implausible to me that one can claim that > there are no long lasting effects of divorce and day-care etc. > As mentioned, the issue is complex and their are many intervening > variables between the daycare years and adulthood. > But I would be suspicious anyway since it seems to be just what our > society wants to hear to qualm uneasy consciences. > That is, "Don't worry North America, increased divorce rates and > increased farming of children out to daycare doesn't and won't have > any bad or lingering effects on the kids." > --Mike > --- > To make changes to your subscription contact: > Bill Southerly ([email protected]) > > --- > To make changes to your subscription contact: > > Bill Southerly ([email protected]) > --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
