The Limits of Family Influence

Most parents believe that their child's personality and intellectual development are a direct result of their child-rearing practices and home environment. This belief is supported by many social scientists who contend that the influences of "nature" and "nurture" are inseparable. Challenging such universally accepted assumptions, The Limits of Family Influence argues that socialization science has placed too heavy an emphasis on the family as the bearer of culture. Similarly, it reveals how the environmental variables most often named in socialization science - such as social class, parental warmth, and one- versus two-parent households - may also be empty of causal influence on child outcomes such as intelligence, personality, and psychopathology. In clear, accessible language, David C. Rowe critiques these basic assumptions and demonstrates how our reliance on them prevents us from fully comprehending personality development and the influence of different experiences. Structured to give evidence for this conclusion and to explore its many implications, the book first examines the theoretical basis of socialization science and then describes in great detail what behavior genetic