Evaluating parental power: An exercise in pluralist political theory (Social and Political Power)

Is parents’ power over their children legitimate? And what role do both theoretical analysis and practical judgement play when we make such normative evaluations? While this book adds to the growing literature on parents, children, families, and the State, it does so by focusing on one issue, the legitimacy of parents’ power. It also takes seriously the challenge posed by moral pluralism, and considers the role of both theoretical rationality and practical judgement in resolving moral dilemmas associated with parental power. This book makes a number of conceptual and methodological innovations. While parental power is usually conceptualised as form of paternalism, this book shows that non-paternalistic parental power can be legitimate as well. While parental power is often assumed to involve interference with children’s liberty, in fact there is a plurality of forms of parental power. And while political theorists offer general rules to resolve dilemmas arising between competing moral claims, it is demonstrated here that, in the evaluation of parental power, practical judgements are required in specific cases. A number of such cases of parental power are explored here at length, including parental licenses, children’s informed consent, and civic education. The primary intended market for this book is advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students and established academics, in particular those with an interest in practical and applied ethics, contemporary political theory, moral theory, social theory, the sociology of childhood, political sociology, social work, and social policy. When And For What Reasons Does Parents' Power Have Legitimacy? And How Do We Rationally Justify Such Normative Evaluations? These Are The Questions Posed In This Book. In Doing So, A Number Of Specific Case Studies Are Examined In Detail And An Argument Is Made For A Pluralist Approach Both To The Conceptualisation Of Power And To Its Normative Evaluation. Introduction: Philosophy, Power, And Parents -- Part I. Paternalism And Its Limits -- Paternalism -- Caretaker Or Liberator? -- Part Ii. Conceptual And Methodological Issues -- Moral Dilemmas -- Children's Agency -- Parental Power -- Normative Legitimacy -- Part Iii. The Moral Legitimacy Of Parental Power -- Legitimacy In The Political Domain And In The Family -- Licensing, Monitoring, And Training Parents -- Children And The Provision Of Informed Consent -- Sharing Lives, Shaping Values, And Voluntary Civic Education -- Conclusion. Allyn Fives. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 249-262) And Index. Is parents' power over their children legitimate? And what role does theoretical analysis play when we make such normative evaluations? While this book adds to the growing literature on parents, children, families, and the state, it does so by focusing on one issue, the legitimacy of parents' power. It also takes seriously the challenge posed by moral pluralism, and considers the role of both theoretical rationality and practical judgement in resolving moral dilemmas associated with parental power. The primary intended market for this book is advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students and established academics, in particular those with an interest in practical and applied ethics, contemporary political theory, moral theory, social theory, the sociology of childhood, political sociology, social work, and social policy. 1 Introduction: philosophy, power, and parents Part I: Paternalism and its limits 2 Paternalism 3 Caretaker or liberator? Part II: Conceptual and metholodogical issues 4 Moral dilemmas 5 Children's agency 6 Parental power 7 Normative legitimacy Part III: The moral legitimacy of parental power 8 Legitimacy in the political domain and in the family 9 Licensing, monitoring, and training parents 10 Children and the provision of informed consent 11 Sharing lives, shaping values, and voluntary civic education 12 Conclusion Index When and for what reasons does parents' power have legitimacy? And how do we rationally justify such normative evaluations? These are the questions posed in this work. In doing so, a number of specific case studies are examined in detail and an argument is made for a pluralist approach both to the conceptualisation of power and to its normative evaluation