Growing Up in New Zealand

Over twenty years of thinking about being parents in New Zealand, and raising a family and watching others raise theirs have led to this book by two of New Zealand's best-known psychologists. The result is an ambitious and wide-ranging survey following on from but going considerably further than Jane and James highy succeful CHILD REARING PATTERNS IN NEW ZEALAND.

The authors' main theme in the book is the strengths and waknesses of the way in which New Zealanders make proivsion for the process of growing up. Judgements on this are based partly on their close familiarity with New Zealand writing and research on child development, partly on their own long-term research and work in the field, and partly on their keen observation of children and parents, their communication and their conflicts.

Throughout this book, the Ritchies have avoided unnecessary jaron and social science theorising, and have wirrten for the ordinary parents--indeed for for ordinary people who may not be parents but wonder how we got to be the way we are. But at the same time this is the only compehensive record record of what is known about the topic and the book is fully documented for students. The book may not be contain answers to every question that might be asked but it provides an up to date summary of New Zealand research, as well as a forward looking perspective that gives some guidelines to the future.