ABSTRACT
Observational studies of family life are rare. This chapter was originally slated to be included in Lareau’s book Unequal Childhoods but was eliminated due to concerns about length. Based on family observations, it highlights the separate spheres children and parents inhabit using the case of a low-income African-American family. Tara Carroll is a 10-year-old girl who lives with her brother and her grandmother; her mother visits regularly. The Carroll family had high expectations for Tara. They expected her to know “right from wrong,” to sit in church for hours while being quiet, not to pester adults to leave settings or cater to her wishes, complete her homework regularly, and demonstrate the strong moral foundation under which she was raised. In many different ways, the adults granted her autonomy. The adults did not intervene to control or micro-manage the children’s play, schooling, or other spheres of life. In key ways, children lived in separate spheres from adults. With their autonomy, children learn valuable skills, but longitudinal data also reveal important challenges they faced in the transition to adulthood.
