1. Objectifs

Intentions :
« Although how parents perceive, organize, and manage the world outside the household has not been studied extensively, this question is important to understand how parents perceive their role and their chances to successfully raise their children. This study contributes to answering this question by describing parents’ perceptions of how school and neighborhood contribute to the psychological wellness of their children. » (pp. 305-306)

Questions/Hypothèses :
« The first objective of the study is to determine how parents perceive the influence of two, important microsystems on their children: school and neighborhood. From their point of view, how do these environments enhance or impede the psychological wellness of their children? The second objective is to examine the influence of family socioeconomic background and parents’ gender on these perceptions. As a complementary objective, we explore the influence of a child’s gender and age on parental perceptions. » (p. 309)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
« 260 parents from Montreal and the surrounding region (67.3% mothers, 32.7% fathers) » (p. 309), recrutés par le biais de l’école de leur enfant de 6 à 12 ans, et parlant français à la maison. Les participants provenaient de six écoles en milieu défavorisé (116) et de 5 écoles en milieu plus favorisé (144).

Instruments :
Guide d’entretien semi-directif de 75 minutes portant sur les perceptions du parent par rapport au bien-être de son enfant en lien avec l’école et le voisinage.

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

« This study examined parents’ perceptions of how school and neighborhood contribute to the psychological wellness of their 6- to 12-year-old children. Content analysis of 260 interviews explored parents’ perception and identified the key aspects of school and neighborhood. At school, two assets stood out: emotional support and a supportive learning milieu. Qualities that parents valued about the neighborhood included child-friendliness, environmental amenities, and the presence of cordial and supportive neighbors. Parents living in disadvantaged neighborhoods differed on many points in their perceptions from parents living in wealthier neighborhoods, reflecting disparities in the environments in which they live and raise their children. » (p. 305)