Parenting and Politics: Exploring Early Moral Bases of Political Orientation

Authors

  • Ronnie Janoff-Bulman
    Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
  • Nate C. Carnes
    Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
  • Sana Sheikh
    School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom

Abstract

Based on Lakoff’s (2002) Strict Father and Nurturant Parent metaphors for political conservatism and liberalism respectively, two studies explored parenting styles, political ideology, and the moral orientations that might link the two. Restrictive parenting (by both mother and father) predicted political conservatism, and this path was mediated by a strong Social Order orientation (Study 1) reflecting, more broadly, an inhibition-based proscriptive morality (Study 2). Political liberalism was associated with a Social Justice orientation, but was not predicted by nurturant parenting in either study. Study 1 included mothers’ reports of their own parenting, and these were correlated with the students’ responses. Findings support a restrictive moral underpinning for conservatism, but raise questions about the assumed unique association between parental nurturance and political liberalism, which is addressed in the discussion.