Abstract
This study explored how parents’ socioeconomic status (SES) influences parenting practices and the wellbeing of adolescents in Pimville, Soweto. Guided by the Family Stress Model (FSM), which suggests that economic hardship can create parental stress and disrupt family relationships, ultimately affecting adolescents’ wellbeing, the study adopted an interpretivist framework and a qualitative research approach to capture the lived experiences of parents and adolescents. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with five parent adolescent pairs and analysed thematically using the steps outlined by Braun and Clarke (2016).
The findings revealed that both adolescent wellbeing and parenting practices were influenced by SES. Financial problems, unemployment, and poor living conditions caused stress for parents, leading to emotional distance, harsh discipline, and poor communication with their children. Although adolescents reported feelings of unhappiness, loneliness, and low self-esteem, they also understood that their parents’ stress stemmed from economic hardship rather than a lack of love. The study highlights the link between economic hardships and parenting practices, which can compromise family relationships and reduce parents’ emotional availability. These findings emphasise the importance of supporting low-income families to strengthen parenting capacity and promote the wellbeing of adolescents.