Running head: PARENTING STYLE

The Breakfast Club Parenting Style

Mawi Mawi
Ivy Tech Community College

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INTASC Standard, Description and Rationale

Standard #1: Learner Development: The teacher understands how learners grow and develop,
recognizing that patterns of learning and development very individually within and across the
cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional and physical areas, and designs and implements
developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.
Name of Artifact: The Breakfast Club Parenting Style
Date: May 1, 2015
Course: EDUC 121
Brief Description: For this assignment, I watched The Breakfast Club movie for identifying
each character along with the parenting style they grew with. After analyzing the movie, I have
to write at least 3-5 pages about the development and identify the parenting style used with each
of the main character. The paper need be in-text citation and a bibliography with APA style.
Rational: To document my understanding of Standard #1, Learner Development, I selected to
include my The Breakfast Club Parenting Style because teachers need to be able to observe each
students character and identify what kind of parenting style used in their development. After
reading our textbook and watching The Breakfast Club movie, I am able to see through children
development and how parenting style can affect their moral and behavioral development.

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Introduction
The researchers have been trying to identify the parenting styles described in terms of
general outcomes in childrens development. There are four types of parenting styles:
Authoritarian parenting, Authoritative parenting, Permissive parenting and Uninvolved
parenting. Each of these parenting styles appears to have certain influences on children's
behavior. However, culture also influences the outcome, especially for school success. The
majority of parents fall into one of these categories most of the time. When parents are
inconsistent in their parenting approach, it is very damaging to their children because they do not
know what to expect (Sailor, 2010). This paper will going to identify each character in this movie
used the parenting style and how different development has each student.
The Characters
The Breakfast Club is a classic 1980s cult film directed by John Hughes starring Emilio
Estevez and Molly Ringwald (amongst others). They were five students with nothing in
common, faced with spending a Saturday detention together in their high school library because
each of them made some trouble for different reasons. At 7 a.m., they had nothing to say, but by
4 p.m., they had bared their souls to each other and become good friends. To the outside world
they were simply a Brain, an Athlete, a Basket Case, a Princess, and a Criminal, but to each
other, they would always be the Breakfast Club.
The five main characters in The Breakfast Club are as follows:
John Bender (Judd Nelson) "The Criminal",
Claire Standish (Molly Ringwald) "The Princess",
Brian Johnson (Anthony Michael Hall) "The Brain",
Andrew Clark (Emilio Estvez) "The Athlete",

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Allison Reynolds (Ally Sheedy) "The Basket Case".

Analysis
At Saturday detention, the school disciplinary principle, Mr. Vernon gave them an
assignment to write an essay about Who you think you are, but they have spent all day fighting
and arguing each other, telling their story, crying and taking marijuana. However, at the end of
the day, five students who have different personality and stereotypes have become friends after
pouring their hearts.
Authoritarian Parenting Style: It combines high control with little warmth. These parents lay
down the rules and expect them to be followed without discussion. Hard work, respect, and
obedience are what authoritarian parents wish to cultivate in their children. This is give-and-take
between parent and child because authoritarian parents do not consider childrens needs or
wishes (Kail, 2014, pg.414).
In this The Breakfast Club movie, Brian Johnson, The Brain parents are authoritarian
parents. When his mom dropped him off, she scolded and shouted instead of giving him a chance
to make excuse. She even yelled him that This is the fast and last time you do this. In her child
situation, she only could think of blaming him for getting in trouble. His mom even asked him to
get in school and use the time to his advantage while he was in detention. He tried to give an
excuse for not having time to study, but her mom did not listen to him.
Authoritative Parenting Style: It combines a fair degree of parental control with warmth and
responsivity to children. Authoritative parents explain rules and encourage discussion (Kail,
2014, pg.414). Parents who are nurturing and set, discuss, and enforce developmentally
appropriate limits are the most successful in helping their children become autonomous,
independent, self-controlled, self-confident, and cooperative (Sailor, 2010).

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This parenting style is identified by Andrew Clarks, The Athlete authoritative parents
because his dad explained that getting in trouble is ok since man screwed up around and no
school wont give anyone scholarship to a discipline case. His dad controlled him with fair
explanation along with the story of his screwing up around.
Permissive Parenting Style: It offers warmth and caring but little parental control. These
parents generally accept their childrens behaviors and punish them infrequently (Kail, 2014, pg.
414). Parents who are nonpunitive, loving, and accepting of the child often have children who
lack independence and are selfish because they are not taught how their actions affect others.
These children tend to be impulsive, aggressive, and low in taking responsibility (Sailor, 2010).
This parenting style is identified by Claire Standishs (Molly Ringwald) "The Princess",
parents. She is acting like a ruined-princess who got everything she wanted because of her dad
who did everything for her. When she got dropped off, she whined about not getting her out of
detention. Even though she whined about being absurd and detention, his father said nothing but
looked her daughters whining with full of love.
Uninvolved Parenting Style: It provides neither warmth nor control. Uninvolved parents
provide for their childrens basic physical and emotional needs but little less. These parents try to
minimize the amount of time spent with their children and avoid becoming emotionally involved
with them (Kail, 2014, pg. 414). The combination of permissiveness and indifference or rejection
in varying degrees has detrimental effects on children. In the extreme, it becomes neglect, which
is a form of child abuse (Sailor, 2010).
I identify that two characters form this The Breakfast Club movie are raised by the
uninvolved parents; they are Allison Reynolds (Ally Sheedy) "The Basket Case" and John
Bender (Judd Nelson) "The Criminal". Both parents of these students dont even care what is

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happening to their children. Since they are pushed aside, their characteristic seemed totally
different to other students. John misbehaved with the Teacher and thus failed to learn respect. He
chose his own way and yet ended up to become a criminal by placing a fake gun in his locker
since he is not controlled by his parents. He is not even dropped, but walked himself to school.
Her parents just drove the car as soon as Allison got off the car. This scene showed that
her parent did not involve in her matter. Her personality also is a bit strange to any other else.
She did not talked to other students in detention room. She simply stated that My home life is
unsatisfying. Accordingly there are many sugary types of food in her lunch box, proving her
parents do not care very much for their daughters health. She tosses the meat out and pours
sugar over her sandwich because she often does what she likes to do since her parents could care
less.
Conclusion
Each character s in this movie exemplifies the positive and negative outcomes associated
with the parenting style used by their parents. For those students who are raised by authoritative
parents have positive outcomes. They also have internalized moral standards and their academic
performance in high school is superior to that of children from either authoritarian or permissive
homes. I identify this judgment in Andrews behaviors. For the Princes Claire, she received
whatever he longed for and had ruined personality since she was raised by indulgent dad. This
exemplified the possible outcome of permissive parenting style. Brian The Brain, felt himself
as a victim of his authoritarian parents who disciplined their son without warmth. For those who
were raised by uninvolved parents usually felt themselves as pathetic and unvalued human
beings. Therefore; they do not care others opinion and judgment. Allison and John exemplified
these outcomes since they are raised by uninvolved parents.

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7
References

Sailor, D.H. (2010). Effects of parenting style on childrens behaviors. Educaion.com Retrieved
from http://www.education.com/reference/article/effect-parenting-styles-childrenbehavior/
Kail, R.V. (2014). Children and their development. London, UK: Pearson PLC Publishing
Company.
The Breakfast Club. Putlocker. Retrieved from http://putlocker.is/watch-the-breakfast-clubonline-free-putlocker.html