From Black Pedagogy to Bleak Pedagogy: Unveiling Adultcentrism and the Lacking Roots of Misapplied Power in Disciplinary Practices

Since family is the first relational context experienced by the child, and the relationship between the child and the primary caregivers is a main aspect in the child's development, the present study delves into the application of Adultcentrism (AD)—the implicit adult-centered paradigm of thought—and Black Pedagogy (BP)—its practical, coercive derivation in disciplinary practices—in the context of the parent–child relationship, similarly to what has been already done in respect to the pupil–teacher relationship for both constructs. Specifically, the objectives were to assess the suitability of the AD and BP scales on a sample of parents, to compare the positions of mothers and fathers on the two constructs, and to analyze the association between them. To achieve the objectives of this study, the AD and BP Scales were administered to a sample of 3448 parents. The main analyses show the overall validity and usability of both measurements: CFA confirmed the factorial structure of the BP Scale (RMSEA = 0.073 , CI 0.072–0.075, SRMR = 0.076 ); in contrast, the AD Scale exhibited a better fit with a bifactorial structure (RMSEA = 0.062 , CI 0.060–0.063, SRMR = 0.068). A SEM analysis revealed that AD is associated with BP in its values and methods. Moreover, the model tested proved to be invariant for territorial areas and parents' gender. Results are discussed in light of their implications for new research lines and for deepening our understanding of AD and BP constructs; in fact, a new label is proposed for the latter one: “Bleak Pedagogy.” Limitations and applications of the study are also presented.