It is in a society where parents have so little control over their children, where e.g. there is great debate over mild corporal punishment and using it can get

It is in a society where parents have so little control over their children, where e.g. there is great debate over mild corporal punishment and using it can get your kids taken away. Compare to the Roman principle of pater familias https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pater_familias https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pater_familias