PARENT CONSULTING: DEVELOPING POWER BASES AND HELPING PEOPLE

J O N CARLSON AND MAUREEN “CASEY” JARMAN

Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Nova University School counselors can create oRer bases and have a significant impact upon the surrounding community t&ough work with parents. A three-step program is presented along with supplemental practical activities for consultants to use in working with parents.

Counselors need to be actively involved in the total communities that they

The focus for the future will be on the community or the total environment. The counselor will use an ecological systems approach and establish priorities based upon the maximum effect that the service has upon the total system. The counselor will focus on what needs to be accomplished before selecting the means. (Carlson, 1973, p. 4)

service in order to deal with the increasing emphasis on mental health.

One vehicle or means for accomplishing these ends is already (or should be) in the counselor~s repertoire: that of parent consultation (Carlson, 1969; Dinkmeyer and Carlson, 1973). The purpose of this article is to assist counselors and school psychologists in using already existing skills in a more efficacious fashion. An outline of specific activities and strategies to be used will be presented.

ORGANIZATION Establish a parent training program that actively involves community/school

leaders. Keep the goals of “giving your skills away” and “allowing others to assume responsibility” clearly in focus. To best meet tlhe evergrowing demand for family education programs, parent education training, and family counseling programs, these programs will necessarily move from the present child managment procedures to the creation of improved human systems within the community (Carlson, 1973). The counsclor will no longer solely lead groups, but rather train lay people such as paraprofessionals, volunteers, parents, community leaders, peer counselors, and senior citizens to establish and conduct parent education and study groups, thus establishing a sound communications network and psychologically positive system within a community.

TRAINING PARENT EDUCATORS Selection

Group members can be drawn from anywhere in the community, although the easiest place to begin is with interested parents in the schools. The consultant might begin the parent training program by soliciting names of parents from teach- ers. Teachers are asked to identify the parents who they feel will make good parent study group leaders, parents who have “got i t all together.” This usually yields a

Authors’ note: The described program is currently in operation at the University School of

Requests for reprints should be sent to Jon Carlson, Psychology Dept., Nova University, Fort Nova University for those wishing to visit or recelve more information.

Lauderdale, Florida 33314.

PARENT CONSULTING 359

list of very activc, responsible individuals who would fit the Carkhuff (1971) clas- sification of the “functional professional.” These people are then contacted and asked if they would like to take part in a “very important’’ community program: that is, the establishment of a free parent education program. The only cost is for the price of a good book and a commitment that they will share their learnings in a similar setting with ten or so parents upon completion of the class. From this sample, select groups of from four to six pcople and form the groups so that parents with children of similar ages are togethcr.

Training Plan to meet with the parents for 1 1/2 hours per week for six to eight weeks.

Use a C-group format (Dinkmeyer and Carlson, 1973) , coupled with outside readings and homework tasks. The reading will provide the groups with the necessary cognitive principles and the C-group allows assimilation of the principles for real learning. The local bookstores are well-stocked with possible textbook sources; make your choice dependent on your theoretical preference. We have found Raising a responsible child (Dinkmeyer and McKay, 1973) or Children the challenge (Dreikurs and Soltz, 1963) with its accompanying study guide (Soltz, 1967) excellent selec- tions. Additional possibilities are as follows: BECKER, W. C. Parents are teachers. Champaign, Ill: Research Press, 1971. DODSON, F. How 20 parent. Los Angeles: Nash, 1970. DREIKURS, R. and GREY, L. Logical consequences: A new approach to discipline.

GINOTT, H. G. Between parent and child. New York: MacMillan, 1965. GINOTT, H. G. Between parent and teenager. New York: MacMillan, 1969. GORDON, T. Parent efectiveness training. New York: Peter J. Wyden, 1970. HARRIS, T. A. I’m OK-You’re O K : A practical guide to transactional analysis.

HAUCK, P. A. The rational management of children (2nd. Ed.) New York: Libra

JAMES, M. What do you do with them now that you’ve got them? Reading, Mass:

KRUMBOLTZ, J. D. and KRUMBOLTZ, H. B. Changing children’s behavior. Englewood

MADSEN, C. K. and MADSEN, C. H. Parents children discipline. Boston: Allyn

PATTERSON, G. R. and GULLION, M. D. Champaign, 111:

SALK, L. W h a t every child would like his parents to know. New York: McKay, 1972. SATIR, V. Peoplemaking. Palo Alto: Science and Behavior Books, 1972.

New York: Meredith, 1968.

New York: Harper and Row, 1967.

(391 Willets Road, Roslyn Heights, New York 11577).

Addison-Wesley, 1974.

Cliffs : Prentice-Hall, 1972.

and Bacon, 1972.

Research Press, 1968. Living with children.

The approach has been entitled the “C” group because the group processes

1. Collaboration. Working together on mutual concerns. * that make it effective begin with the letter C. The component parts are:

360 JON CARLSON AND bIAUREEN (‘CASEY” JARMAN

2 . Cousultation. Helping group members to develop new approaches to relationships with children.

3. ClariJcation. Clarifying for each member what he really believes and how congruent or incongruent his behavior is with thosc beliefs.

4. Conj”rontation. The group expects each individual to see himself, his purposes, and his attitudes and to be willing to confront other membcrs of the group.

5. Co?iJidentiality. What is discussed in the group is not rcpcatcd outsidc of the group.

6. Communication. Communicating personal meanings and feelings as well as ideas.

7. Showing involvement for both the group members and the children.

8. Commitment. Developing a commitment to change. Participants in the group become involved in helping members rccognizc that they can really changc only themselves. They may come to the group expecting to changc Children, but they soon learn that they must devclop a specific commitment involving an action they will take before the next “C” group meeting in order to change their approach to the problem (Dinkmeyer and Carlson, 1973).

Concerii and Caring.

Devote the first fivc or six sessions to helping the group members learn the child-rearing or “parenting” concepts first hand. Have the group members work on the normal problems they have with their normal children (Carlson, 1969). Waking children in the morning, eating a nutritious breakfast, forgetting items, being late for school buses/car pools, brushing teeth, doing homework, using the tclephoncl, or going to bed at a respectable hour are examples of typical or common concerns. Help the group members to help one another. As leader, focus on drawing out concepts in the members’ comments. The goal is not to “give fish” or solutions, but to teach the members “to fish” or solve thcir own problems; for example:

Parent 1 - “I’ve tried to talk to him when he swears and let him know how

wrong i t is, but i t doesn’t help. He just keeps it up!”

Parent 2 - “What about bringing him into the house and putting him where

there are no people until he can act properly?”

Counselor - “You’re suggesting that a ‘logical conscquence’ be used . . .”

Here thc consultant is able to highlight an important child management principle through clarification.

The consultant should dcvotc the last few sessions to helping the parents plan strategies and learn skills for lcading a parent study group. Parents can do micro- tcaching and be critiqued, prepare plans of study, learn how to handle potential problems through simulation, or discuss concerns of the group members.

PARENT CONSULTISG 361

Upon complction of the group, the consultant can niect ivith each group membcr individually to makc final preparations for the initiation of parent study groups. The consultant can hclp the parents dccidc on a location (i.e., parent’s honic, community center, church or school) for the meetings, establish final study plans, pcrhaps arrange for thc consultant to visit the group or to help find candidates for the class. The consultant should suggest that parents usc their own resources for group members : possible sourccs include neighbors, friends, clubs, organizations, cxpectant mothers and churches. Announcements in church, club and organi- zational newsletters usually produce a good turnout. This is perhaps due to the growing demand by parents for help with child rearing. The Commission of Non- Traditional Study, funded by the Carnegie Corporation, recently completed a study which indicated that over 54y0 of adults between the ages of 18-60 want and will takc part in a class in child rearing and family life. If the parent leaders arc unable to locate enough members, the consultant might providc a list of names. The list can be developed through newspaper articles and announcements, P T A newsletter announcemmts, radio announcements, special meetings for school parents to introduce them to the guidance and parent programs, and community lecture series on parenting (discussed later in this article).

The parent educators realize that the consultant is available to help and super- vise them as needed on an individual basis. This involves scheduling free time to meet with the leaders as well as with some group members who have problems beyond the scope of a parent education group. Follow-up meetings of the training group are routinely scheduled four to eight weeks after the formal training con- cludes. These sessions can help the consultant monitor the group’s progress and supervise the leader’s growth.

Paren t Educa t ion This facet of the program is carried out without direct consultant involvement.

The parent educators conduct study groups centered around structured material. The purpose of these groups is to provide information on effective child-rearing techniques.

The groups range in size from 8-16 people. The basic structure of the course is provided through a textbook of the leader’s choice. The weekly sessions (usually 8-10 meetings) center around different sections or chapters of the text. For example, the text R a i s i n g a responsible child (Dinkmeyer and McKay, 1973) provides the following study sequence:

1. Introduction 2. Understanding human behavior 3. Promoting emotional growth 4. 5 . Communication 6. Encouragement 7. Logical Consequences 8. Natural Consequences 9. Games children play

Mistaken concepts of adults and children

10. Family Council

362 JON CARLSON AND MAUREEN “CASEY” JARMAN

The meetings usually involve a cognitivc discussion of the assigned wcekly reading and an analysis of how to apply the material to the group members’ lives. An ex- ample of study group sessions is as follows:

Introduction

role, settles organizational business. 1. Leader introduces himsclf, provides guidelines for discussion, clarifies

2. 3.

assignment. 4.

and mastery of concept. 5 . Summarize learnings. 6.

Havc group gct acquainted through warm-up activity. Introduce lesson or concept for the session. Havc ditto or mini-reading

Activity or practice exercise that allows for meaningful understanding

Homework. Provide participants with a reading assignment and a behav- ioral task (i.e., encourage children 5 times this week).

Parent PersoniJied Through involvemcnt in a parent study group and as a parent study group

leader, many participants can meet their personal needs. However, a few feel that they understand all the parenting material and things still are not “right.” A personal effectiveness training program is needed to help these people grow. Couples groups, marriage counseling, TA groups, C-groups are all examples of procedures that could bc used. The spccific approach used will depend upon the training/background of thc consultant. The consultant may seek the help of the school social worker, school psychologist, local clergy, etc., to help with this facet of the program. Through utilization of parent education groups, the consultant has more time available to work in this important area.

Certificates

or degrees of training. The degrees we have selected are :

1.

2.

The impact of the education program can be enhanced by structuring levels

Parent Education - Attend 8 of 10 parent education classes and receive the approval of the parent educator. Parent Educator - Attend the parent educator training program under the supervision of thc consultant and conduct onc 8-10 week parent education class. Parent PERSONiJied - Earn Parent Education and Parent Educator certifi- cates and take part in a personal growth experience designed and approved by the consultant.

Besides adding incentive to the participants, the certificates help create a power base. The certificates should be signed by local leaders (i.e., Superintendent of School, Mayor, Principal, Counselor). Every month these leaders sign certificates and see what the consultant does. The leaders also add their endorsement (through their signature) which enhances the credibility of the program. A graduation cere- mony involving local dignitaries as well as the news media can generate good public relations and additional publicity.

3.

PARENT CONSULTING 363

Newsletter A monthly newsletter that presents very practical activities for the normal

or typical family can be prepared and distributed. The purpose of this newsletter is to present weekly activities that families can do to grow together (rather than apart). The newsletter docs not talk about the goodness of guidance or announce upcoming events; i t is meant only to offer help. Each month a different issue arrives devoted to such topics as: thinking positively, sharing, child management, making a marriage work, creating a democratic home, or communication. The newsletter should be brief and to the point. For example:

N I C K N A M E S : It is not surprising to note that in our failhre-oriented culture, most nicknames are based upon an individual’s liabilities or weaknesses rather than assets or strengths (i.e., Fats, Baldy, Gopher, Rat, Beaver, 4-Eyes . . .). To enhance each family member’s self-concept, have your family generate a list of positive nicknames for each other based upon his/her strengths. HAPPY T A L K : Spend two minutes or more each day with each member of your family. Find out two things that each person enjoyed or found success a t that day-and share two of your own.

The newsletter may be distributed via the mail, sent home with the students, stacked a t convenient locations (i.e., grocery store, barber shop, clothes store, pub) , or a student delivery system might be established. The student delivery service can easily become a part of the school’s career education curriculum.

Pam il y Counseling Dem onstrations/Lecture Series A simply organized yet most effective procedure is to organize a bi-weekly

lecture or counseling demonstration program (Christensen, 1972). Reserve a room in the school or community, send out flyers, and post announcements in visible locations (i.e., doctors’ waiting rooms, community centers, church bulletin boads) . Choose a co-chairman from your parent educators to help assume some of the promotional work (ie., have a telephone announcement system set up-have ten people call ten people who call ten people, ad infinitum). Invite local professionals to present programs. Most will be thrilled a t being asked, as they cannot ethically advertise and they will jump a t such opportunities to promote themselves and their work as well as to help others on a large scale basis. Select speakers from local college and university personnel, psychologists, medical personnel, clergy, educators, etc. Topics may be anything that relates to family life, parenting and child develop- ment. Offer the series free of charge to any interested community member. Some parents prefer to get involved gradually with the parent program and like the lecture series because there is no personal commitment involved.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Through a small time commitment, a few hours per week initially to train

parent leaders and a few hours to organize, the consultant has actively involved hundreds of people in a meaningful program. The program uses a “chain letter” format with each parent taking responsibility for involving others, rather than leaving this up to the consultant. The consultant has met the challenge that Ameri-

3G4 JON CARLSON AND bIAUREEN “CASEY” JARlrAN

can Psychological Association l’rcsidcnt Gcorgc 3Ziller put forth : “Give psychology to the public.”

The consultant can gain in several ways from such a program: (a) The indirect help provided for students; students will hcgin to act in morc appropriatc ways when their parents do. (b) The guidance program has bccome an integral part of the community. This makes the consultant indispensable, an important point when so many counselors arc losing positions in today’s accountability crunch. (c) Thr consultant has morc time (once the program gets going) to do counseling with students and consulting uith teachers. (d) The consultant has provided a valuable community servicr and personal service to those directly involved.

REFERENCES C.\RKAUFF, 11. 11. The development of huma/i resources. New Yorli: Holt, 1Linehart and Winston, 1071. C..~RI,SON, J. Case analysis: Parent) grorip ronsultnt.ion. Elemerjtary School Gwidmce and C”(~vn.7ehq,

C.IRI,SON, J. The future of school counseling. F(JCUS O / L Guidarice, 1973, 5, 1-10. C~RLSON, J. Family Jeatures. 1(1) , Ft. Lauderdale, Florida: Nova University, 1073. CIIRISTI~NSICN, 0.

1969, 4, 136-141.

Family edncation : A model for cwnsult,ation. Eleme,ctary School Gzcidauce mid Cou/tseli/ig, 1972, 7, 121-129.

1)INKMI,;YI~:R, 1). and C . \ R L S O N , J. ConsulliJig: FaCi / i /U( i / /g h?mUi /e / i eSS U I t d ChUJ/ge process. Colrimbiis, Ohio: Charles 34;. Merrill, 1973.

UINKMI.;YICR, 1). and MCKAY, G. 1?aisi/ig a Tesponsahle child. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1973. I)RICIKUIS, 11. and SOLTZ, V. Chiidre71 the challe/ise. New York: Hawt,horne, 1963. MILLI,X, (;. Psychology rn a mearis of piornoling hiiinari welfare. A?nerica/i P.sycho/ogi.sL, 1969, 24,

I 063- 107-5. SOLTZ, V. Study group leader’s mamial. Chicago: Alfred Adler Institute (110 S. I)earhorn), 1967.

T H E EFFECT OF COGNITIVE TRAINING I N ANTHROPOLOGY ON ETHNOCENTRIC ATTITUDES

WILLIAM P. FRECH

Valclosh State College

The int,eractive effects of t,he cognitive and t,he affective domains are sometimes overlooked in attitudinal research. The possibility exists, however, that knowledge may be an essential element of attitude formation. The researcher hypot,hesized t,hat, some instances of ethnic prejudice (ethnocentrism) are the result of faulty or inadequate knowledge. This study, therefore, focused on the affective outcome of instruction in two cognitive concepts of cultural anthro- pology. Using a fixed effects 2 X 2 treatment, by blocks multivariate analysis o f variance with two measures of effect, highly significant results were obtained.

Relatively little research has been conducted to measure the effect of cognitive training in elementary social studies on the development of children’s ethnic atti- tudes. In fact, the possible interactive effects of the cognitive and affective domains have been overlooked by many researchers. The traditional view that attitudes are the result of knowledge, or lack of it, is questioned by many educators (Frankel, 1964; Jacob, 1957; Icrathwohl, Bloom and Masia, 1967; Michaelis, 1968). This is not to say that there is a simple cause-effect relationship between attitudes and

Requests for reprints should be sent to William Frech, Box 98, Valdosta State College, Valdosta, Georgia 31601.