Parenting Beyond the Home: Effects of Neighborhood Disorder and Social Relations on Family Management Practices

Family management practices can safeguard children and adolescents against the effects of neighborhood conditions such as disorder and violence. Drawing from Furstenberg and colleagues' (1999) family management model, we build on prior research incorporating the influence of neighborhood factors like disorder and structural characteristics on within- and outside-the-home family management. Using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, we employ hierarchical linear and generalized linear modeling to assess how neighborhood features influence applied family management strategies within and outside of the home, controlling for youth sex, race/ethnicity, and immigrant generational status. Compared to neighborhood conditions, youth and family exert the most influence over family management practices. However, some neighborhood effects emerge, especially with respect to parenting strategies applied beyond the home. Our findings support research identifying the importance of parenting strategies in disadvantaged neighborhoods and strengthen this knowledge base by employing a more nuanced approach to family management strategies.