Do Parents Matter?

How much blame do parents deserve when their children turn out badly? None, according to Judy Harris’ controversial book The Nurture Assumption. This 61 year-old house-bound grandmother with little academic credibility has stunned America with her theory that it is not parents that matter but peers and genes. She cited cases of identical twins who have grown up thousands of miles apart but who are remarkably similar and Latino teenagers who speak their parents’ native tongue at home but have perfect Boston accents at school. Is hers a dangerous thesis or a much needed breath of fresh air? Do Parents Matter? investigates how Harris arrived at her theory and how her own childhood and experience of motherhood shaped her thoughts, and also features startling footage of ruthless 12 year-olds at play.

A LION TELEVISION LIMITED Production