Mother as the primary caregiver

• FOR:Mother in development of personality

  • Mother role in providing for libido in oral stage, feeding child can overindulge or frustrate, leading to gullibility and optimism or pessimism and envy
  • When child realises maternal separation could lead to unsatisfied needs, separation anxiety occurs
  • Development of femininity through Oedipus or electra complex dependant on relationships w mother in phallic stage
• FOR: Bowlby Monotropy, internal working model and maternal deprivation

  • internal working model for all future relationships based on that with primary caregiver, shaping attachment type and future relationships- continuity hypothesis
  • ’ mother love in infancy is just as important for a child’s mental health as vitamins and minerals are for physical health’
  • Evolutionary- child attaches to 1 caregiver to ensure survival (monotropy)
  • In critical period, distraction or break in attachment would have long term neg effect such as delinquency (Bowlby 44 thieves)
• FOR: role of daycare

  • children who spend early continuous time in care of non relatives more likely to show later behavioural problems- aggression or disobedience
  • cared for by relative or childminders also show behavioural problems
  • Elevated corsitol in daycare - hormone links to stress related diseases such as heart disease, dementia and increased illness frequency
  • being with mother is healthy option
• AGAINST:Multiple attachments

  • longitudinal analysis of babies and their family .
  • birth to 7 months babies have indiscriminate attachment to any adult
  • 7-9 months special attachment w 1or 2 caregivers
  • by 10 months, multiple attachments
  • most important part of attachment is not who feeds and changes child but who plays and communicates
  • responsiveness is the key to attachment
• AGAINST: Rutter - impact of separation

  • variety of attachment behaviour to a variety of attachment figures
  • Repeated Bowlby’s study w 2000 boys on IOW
  • boys from homes w psychological disorder,stress and arguments more likely to turn to crime but when due to death or illness here unlikely: conflict and stress cause antisocial behaviour not the separation
  • Romanian Orphan study-> orphans adopted before 6 months could overcome effect of early deprivation
• AGAINST: food is not love

  • importance of comfort in care giving bond
  • When choosing between warm cloths mother and wire mother with food they sought comfort from cloth mother
  • most comforting is who child attaches to so should provide primary care
• ethical implications of debate

  • prejudice and stereotypes toward same sex male couples when focussing on Freud/ Bowlby.
  • male gay couple brain activity mirrors that of father/mother pairing
  • Mothers who use daycare are prejudiced by one sided viewpoints
• Social implications of debate

  • recognising role of father= paternity rights Either mother or father or both can take maternity leave to care for child
  • breaks down pressure on women to be homemaker
• economic implications of debate

  • if mother is primary caregiver where in todays society most female pop work, this has implications for cost of living
  • Policies should be introduced to discourage day care for extended time- expand parental leave and tax policies to reduce economic factor encouraging parents to leave children in others care