Sociology 1201: Worksheet--"Two Girls" (excerpts from the longer video, "Five Girls")

1. Describe the family situation and family dynamics over the course of the movie for each of the following:

a. Haibinh

b. Toby

2. How did you feel about the parenting styles in each case?

a. Haibinh's parents

b. Toby's parents

Sociology 1201: Groups--Video: "Two Girls"

1. In lecture last week, I presented a classification of different styles of parening along the dimensions of emotional support and control, as follows: 1. Authoritarian: emphasis on coercive control with minimal emotional support 2. Permissive: emphasis on emotional support with minimal control 3. Authoritative: high levels of emotional support combined with consistent, moderate control. If you had to apply those labels, which ones would you apply to Toby's parents? To Haibinh's parents? Do you think we can identify one or the other set of parents as better parents, apart from cultural differences, or is the very definition of good parenting inherently cultural?

2. How important were the differences in parenting in terms of the well-being of each girl? How do you think they're going to do in terms of education? Career?

3. What do you think they'll do differently in their families, as compared with their parents? What do you think they'll do the same way?

4. We sometimes think of parenting as something that is"done to" children in order to socialize them, but it's pretty clear for both these girls that the girl herself also has some power. How does each girl end up carving some freedom for herself, so that she can be her own person (at least to some extent)?