The analysis of parenting styles in the selected Basotho folk-tales

Abstract

Parenting is one of the sensitive and challenging processes to both parents and children. For this reason, it needs to be handled with great care. Since every society has its own ways of handling parenting, the study analyses parenting styles in the selected Basotho folktales, Mosimoli le Mosimotsane, Tselane and Molisa-oa-lipoli.The results indicate that in the folktale, Mosimoli le Mosimotsane, there are two parenting styles, which are authoritative and authoritarian parenting styles. The findings show that death punishment that ʼMamosimoli administer to Mosimoli is not acceptable. Moreover, the results state that in the folktale Mosimoli le Mosimotsane, ʼMamosimoli discriminates Mosimoli and loves Mosimotsane. There are other parenting styles reflected in the folktale Tselane. These parenting styles are permissive and neglectful parenting style while in the folktale Molisa-oa-lipoli, the parenting style discovered is negative parenting style. The results clarify that there is positive parenting where parents love, support and take care of children. However, there is also a negative parenting stylewhere the parents hate, murder, abuse and chase children away from home. Therefore, the study recommends that more studies could be conducted to educate parents on advantages and disadvantages of parenting. It will help the parents to choose positive parenting against negative parenting to protect children against all forms of abuse.