Sociology Commons^™

Social Class And The Stubbornness Of Family Myths: How Nonbeliever And Pagan Parents Cope With Intrusions On Parenting By Proselytizing Christian Family Members In The U.S. Bible Belt, Amy Mcclure

Faculty Publications

Family scholars have documented how powerful institutions intrude upon marginalized parents. Yet, few have examined the effect that intrusion on parenting takes on a more intimate level. Guided by insights from theories of emotion management and family inequality, I compare how two religiously marginalized groups in the Bible Belt cope with a ubiquitous experience they face as parents—unwelcomed proselytizing by Christian family members. Based on participant-observation and forty in-depth interviews, I document nonbeliever and Pagan parents’ experiences with proselytizing by Christian family members to be common, intrusive, and often perceived as potentially harmful to children. Failing to enforce desired boundaries …