Research from all over the world has demonstrated that economic recessions can harm family relationships and parenting and there are significant differences between mothers, fathers, sons and daughters responses. This blog that I am presenting suggest that support to parents is important during recessions, particularly if that support reinforces family relationships and recognize gender differences.
Recessions strains couples relationships, leading to less communication, more conflict and more thoughts about divorce. Unstable careers for women, long unemployment for men and lower household income have all been found to show the effects. Some studies have found that men are more likely to respond to depression, greater hostility and less warmth toward their wives and girlfriends. Women, on the other hand are likely to become anxious, more demanding, and less supportive, leading to increase likelihood that their husbands or partners will withdraw.
Parenting also comes under pressure during recessions. Mothers spanking their children increased during the 2008 recession. Other studies have found that father-child interactions are more vulnerable to recessions than mother-child interactions–fathers were more to be more punitive, uninvolved and less autocratic. During my research I found that these changes in parenting affected children a whole lot and THEIR attitudes were a lot worst during recessions.