Investigated as a function of adults' birth cohort--a group of adults born during a specific time period--were beliefs influencing current attitudes toward parenting that prevail in England and the United States. Particular attention was given to the value attached to parental role in relation to the specific roles of spouse and worker. The total sample consisted of 155 volunteers, male and female, ranging in age from 18 to 76 years, diverse in occupational, marital and parental status, and religious and political affiliation. National subsamples differed only in religious affiliation. Parents comprised 56 percent of the sample. The youngest cohort, consisting of participants ranging in age from 18 to 27 years, was for the most part single and childless. Findings revealed only two significant differences for gender, occupational status, and attitudes about providing for the divorced family, both of which appeared to be related to economic issues in the workplace. National differences were slight, suggesting that the processes changing parental attitudes are not geographically restricted. Differences associated with cohorts were more numerous. Of those born before 1930, a higher percentage than in other groups rejected the idea of divorce and believed that it is detrimental to parents and children. Concluding remarks assert that the traditional model of the family which has dominated academic research seems to restrict thinking about parenting. (RH)