Parents in the Spotlight

Prof. Dr. Tanja Betz is a Member of the LOEWE Research Centre for Individual Development and Adaptive Education of Children at Risk (IDeA) and Professor of Pedagogy with a focus on Childhood Research, Early Childhood and Primary Education, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Prof. em. Dr. Michael-Sebastian Honig is a Professor of Social Work and Member of the Research Group Early Childhood: Education and Care, University of Luxembourg. Prof. em. Dr. Ilona Ostner is a Professor of Political Sociology and Social Policy, University of Göttingen, Germany.

• Tanja Betz, Michael-Sebastian Honig, Ilona Ostner: IntroductionParents and parenting: Concepts and recent state of the artMichel Vandenbroeck, Naomi Geens, Freya Geinger, Tineke Shiettecat, Dorien Van Houte, Griet Roets:Parenting newspeakMary Daly: Towards a critical understanding of the concept of parenting and parenting support policiesMichael-Sebastian Honig: Parents and parenting in recent childhood studiesFriedrich Losel, Doris Bender: Parenting and family-oriented programmes for the prevention of child behaviour problems: What the evidence tells usParenting as performance Manuela du Bois-Reymond: Learning (young) parenthoodTanja Betz, Stefanie Bischoff, Laura B. Kayser: Unequal parents' perspectives on education: An empirical investigation of the symbolic power of political models of a good parenthood in Germany Sabine Andresen: Precarity and vulnerability in families with a low socio-economic background: A qualitative studyCarol Vincent, Sarah Neal, Humera Iqbal: Families, friendships and diversityDangerous parenting? Karin Kurz, Sten Becker: Health risk single-mother family? Towards an explanation of their low participation rate in the early health screening programme for children in GermanyLars Alberth. Doris Buhler-Niederberger: The overburdened mother - Social workers' view of the private Heinz Kindler: How to explain 'dangerous parenting' and how to change it? New parenting support and early intervention in European countriesHanna Rettig, Julia Schroder, Maren Zeller: New parenting support and attitudes towards mothersCarolyn Stolberg: Intervention strategies for strengthening early child health: A comparison of implemented programmes to reduce health inequality in Germany, Sweden and the United KingdomRachel Bray, Mary Daly: Necessary compromises? Tensions in the delivery of parenting support in EnglandClaude Martin: What really is new under the spotlight? (Re-)Discovering parents and parenting in FranceMarit Hopman, Trudie Knijn: Happy children in the Netherlands? Positive parenting and the problems to solve Asa Lindqvist, Ilona Ostner: Parenting and parenting support in Sweden and Germany: Converging policy ideas?

This special issue is a collection of impressive articles that cannot be missed by parenting practioners, policymakers, and parents alike. The article contributors display wide and yet deep perspectives tat stimulate readers to think beyond the surface phenomena of parenting practices and support in western countries.Pui-Ling Chau, INTAMS journal "Marriage, Families & Spirituality" 28/1 (2022)