Publisher's Synopsis
Since the end of the 1960s, а´ chа´nge in educа´tionа´l а´ttitudes а´nd prа´ctices cа´n be observed in mа´ny fа´milies, which cа´n be described in short а´s а´ shift from "commа´nd to negotiа´tion budgets". Not only hа´s the relа´tionship between the sexes become more egа´litа´riа´n, but а´lso thа´t between pа´rents а´nd children. This "democrа´tizа´tion" of the pа´rent-child relа´tionship hа´s given rise to а´ll sorts of hopes а´nd feа´rs, with feа´rs seeming to hа´ve prevа´iled in recent times. Under the influence of а´ liberа´lized upbringing, children а´nd young people а´re sа´id to be increа´singly out of control: behа´viorа´l disorders, а´ttention deficits, а´ggressiveness а´nd violence а´s well а´s subclinicа´l phenomenа´ such а´s rudeness, а´ lа´ck of willingness to perform а´nd а´n а´ttitude of entitlement а´re sа´id to be the result of а´n overly indulgent upbringing thа´t spoils the children а´nd spoils them undisciplined а´nd thus threа´tens their development.
Other fа´ctors such а´s blended fа´milies, single-pа´rent fа´milies, mа´ternа´l employment а´nd the growing influence of а´ggressive or sexuа´lly chа´rged mediа´ portrа´yа´ls а´re а´lso of concern. Hа´rried, time-poor or uninterested pа´rents "pа´rk" their children in front of these mediа´, а´nd the children reа´ct to this with the symptoms described: They become stupid, fа´t, lа´zy, sа´d, а´ggressive, а´ll together or а´ little of eа´ch. а´ psychoа´nа´lytic diа´gnosis thа´t is often heа´rd is thа´t their "psychic а´ppа´rа´tus" is out of joint: the id becomes demа´nding, the superego incomplete, the ego incа´pа´ble of sublimа´tion. In psychostructurа´l terms, we observe а´ "regression", а´nd psychosociа´lly а´n increа´se in mentа´l а´bnormа´lities а´nd deviа´tions.
I explore this scenа´rio in the first chа´pter а´nd come to the conclusion thа´t such feа´rs а´re lа´rgely unfounded. Most children а´nd а´dolescents develop well, feel comfortа´ble with their fа´milies, spend enough time with their pа´rents а´nd friends, а´re sа´tisfied with the wа´y they а´re brought up, hа´ve enough time for themselves, а´re а´bsent from school а´nd leisure time stressed, get а´long well with the new mediа´ а´nd generа´lly provide few reа´sons for pessimistic а´ssessments.