Tomo Umemura 1.3.2017 Youth in Family Relationships Was this you? • A typical family interactions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbqtAPi2D AI • Please think about what was similar to you and what was different from you. Youth in Family Relationships • Topics Today – Statistical facts • Focusing on developmental periods • Focusing on cultures – 3 theoretical approaches to understanding family interactions • Parenting Styles • Attachment Theory • Family Systems Approach – Special types of families • Divorced vs. non-divorced families • Physical abuse in families • Sexual abuse in families Parent-Child Conflict in Transition to Adulthood • Parent-child conflict – Highest during early adolescence – Somewhat smaller but still intense during middle adolescence – Diminish substantially during late adolescence and emerging adulthood. • Reason for conflict – Sexual behavior • E.g., clothing Example from “modern family” • Daughter: Check it. I'm a scary black cat. • Mom: The only person that costume scares is me. Go change it. • Daughter: To what? • Mom: I don't know. One of your old costumes. Cultural Differences in Transition to Adulthood • West – In the U.S., leaving home typically around ages 18 to 19. – In EU, emerging adults are more likely to stay at home. • Financial difficulty (e.g., affording apartment) • European culture emphasizes mutual support within families • Concluding that “young Europeans find that they can enjoy a higher standard of living by staying at home rather than living independently, and at the same time enjoy substantial autonomy.” • East – Levels of conflict are low • High cultural beliefs about parental authority • Low cultural emphasis on adolescent independence The Amount of Family Activities in Transition to Adulthood • Mothers and fathers each averaged about 1 hour/day spent in shared activities with their adolescents (Larson et al., 1996). – Mostly watching TV The Amount of Family Activities in Transition to Adulthood • Adolescents must stay at home, whereas emerging adults can leave home. • Girls spend more time and more activities with their mothers than with their fathers • However, girls report negative feeling toward their mother. – Close feeling: 68% in 5th grade -> 28% in 9th grade • Fathers are “shadowy presence.” – One data show only 12 minutes/day spending with adolescents – 40% of this time watching TV together – Fathers still report good feeling during the time together with their adolescents. – However, adolescents tend to resent fathers’ dominant ways of communications. Youth in Family Relationships • Topics Today – Statistical facts • Focusing on developmental periods • Focusing on cultures – 3 theoretical approaches to understanding family interactions • Parenting Styles • Attachment Theory • Family Systems Approach – Special types of families • Divorced vs. non-divorced families • Physical abuse in families • Sexual abuse in families Approach #1: Parenting Styles • 2 dimensions of parenting – Demandingness (control) • The degree to which parents set down rules and expectations for behavior and require their children to comply with them. – Responsiveness (warmth) • The degree to which parents are sensitive to their children’s needs and the extent to which they express love, warmth, and concern for their children. Parenting Styles • Dianna Baumrind’s 4 patterns of parenting styles Demandingness (Control) Responsiveness (Warmth) High Low High Authoritative Indulgent Low Authoritarian Indifferent Parenting Styles • Authoritarian Parenting Style – Parents have very strict, rigid rules. • They're not very interested in what the child thinks or feels. • No conversation. – No warmth and nurturance. • They expect the child to be mature. – Parents want compliance. • They want to control over their children. Parenting Styles • Authoritative Parenting Style – Parents are willing to answer questions. • They are more democratic in the way they deal with their children. • They are assertive but not restrictive. • They are more forgiving, less punishing than the authoritarian parent. – If the child does not meet parents’ goals, it is not the end of the world. • Parents will have a conversation. • Parents and the child will work together to have their successes.
 Parenting Styles • Indulgent Parenting Style (permissive) – Parents have an excessive amount of warmth and nurturance. – They are lighter on the rules and regulations. • Parents allow for a considerable amount of self-regulation. – No rules. • Parents are more reactive in terms of placing demands on their children. • It's really more "parenting when necessary." – Parents have lower expectations for maturity and selfcontrol in the child.
 Parenting Styles • Indifferent Parenting style – Parents are somewhat neglectful. • They are not aware of the child's needs. • There is very little communication. • Parents place few demands on the child. • They are not involved in their life. – Parents are relatively detached from the child's mental/emotional needs. • They will provide the basic needs. • But after that, there is not much connection there. Parenting Styles • Dianna Baumrind’s 4 patterns of parenting styles Demandingness (Control) Responsiveness (Warmth) High Low High Authoritative Indulgent Low Authoritarian Indifferent Parenting Styles • Identify the following parenting styles. – My parents are never home. They are off on a trip or away at work. They don’t show up at my games or band concerts. – My father is so strict. If I look at him funny, he knocks me under the table. – My mother told me I could not go with a guy in a car until I was in my senior year of high school. I argued with her about that. We ended up compromising, and she said I could ride with someone as along as she knew who the person was. – My parents usually let me do whatever I want, but I know they love me. I really love my parents, too. Parenting Styles across Cultures America • Over 4,000 American adolescents aged 14 to 18 (Lamborn et al., 1991) – Working class and middle class – Urban, suburban & rural communities – European American (65%), African American (9%), Asian American (14%), and Latinos (12%). • Authoritative style (37%) • Indifferent style (32%) • Authoritarian style (15%) • Indulgent style (15%) Parenting Styles across Cultures Asia • Authoritative parenting has been considered rare in Asian cultures such as China, Japan, Vietnam, and South Korea. – “Filial piety” – children are expected to respect and obey their parents throughout life. • Low explanations • High academic achievement • “Tiger parenting” – Parent’s view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDdEnKPA5_s – Child’s view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMWX595_gFA • Is tiger parenting authoritarian parenting (high demandingness and low responsiveness)? – Key: High closeness and high responsiveness Parenting Styles across Cultures • Think and discuss with your classmates about what are common parenting styles in your culture and why. Outcomes of Parenting Styles • Why does authoritative parenting promote adolescents’ autonomy and independence? – “A balance between allowing enough autonomy for adolescents to develop their capacities and at the same time requiring them to exercise their autonomy in a responsible way.” – What are your ideas? – Another explanation using attachment theory. Authoritative Authoritarian Indulgent Indifferent Independent Dependent Irresponsible Impulsive Creative Passive Conforming Delinquent Self-assured Conforming Immature Early sex, drugs Socially-skilled Approach #2: Attachment Theory John Bowlby Secure vs. Insecure attachment • When parents are sensitive and responsive to their children’s emotional needs, the children develop secure attachment with their parents. • Secure children trust their parent’s availability when children need them. – “My parents are always there and I feel I can always go to them and they always say something that will make me feel better.” (17-year-old girl) Secure vs. Insecure attachment • Because insecure children have not met their needs when needed, they do not trust their parents. • Insecure children tend to avoid seeking help from others and/or hostile toward others. – Avoidant style – Resistant style • If children are physically/emotionally/sexually abused by their parents, they feel frightened and show dissociate behavior. – disorganized style Attachment security in adolescence • Research indicates that a secure attachment to parents in adolescence is related to a variety of favorable outcomes. – High self-esteem – Low psychological problems – Closer relationships with friends and romantic partners – High educational and occupational attainment – Better physical health – Low drug use problems Approach #3: Family Systems Approach 1. Each relationship within a particular family influences the family as a whole. – Mother-child, father-child, mother-father, etc. • E.g., mother-father -> mother-child • E.g., mother-child -> mother-father • E.g., drug problem • E.g., financial difficulty mother-father father-childmother-child Approach #3: Family Systems Approach 2. Families need to adjust to disequilibrium (or changes). – Adolescents become more cognitively and physically mature. • E.g., Explanation about adoption. – Interesting empirical findings about “midlife crisis”: • Empty-nest syndrome – parents need to make adjustments when their youngest child leaves home. • When parents typically have adolescents, parents report their lives are happier and more satisfying (Feldman, 2003; Galhagher, 1993). – Better job status and more power -> financial stability – Personalities become more flexible (E.g., TV in Umemura family) – Marital problems decline and marital satisfaction increases • When emerging adults leave home, their relationships with parents become better (Arnett, 2003; Garber & Dubas, 1996). • Are these positive transitions true in your family? Approach #3: Family Systems Approach 1. Each relationship within a particular family influences the family as a whole. 2. Families need to adjust to disequilibrium (or changes). Youth in Family Relationships • Topics Today – 3 approaches to understanding family interactions • Parenting Styles • Attachment Theory • Family Systems Approach – Which approaches do you think the most useful to understand the relation between you and your family? Family Relationships continuously influence youth throughout the lifecourse Developmental Perspective Types of Families and Youth Developmental Trajectories • Divorce • Remarriage • Single Parenthood • Dual-Earner Families • Physical abuse • Sexual abuse Divorce Rate (%) in Europe The effect of divorce on adolescents and emerging adults • Young people raised in divorced families are at higher risk for multiple negative outcomes, compared with young people in non-divorced families. – Behavior/emotional problems • Drugs, alcohol, sex, depression • Forming romantic relationship, higher divorce rate – Academic achievement • Grades, graduation, friendship, college degree The effect of divorce on adolescents and emerging adults • Key: family process – the extent to which young people are exposed to conflict between parents. – Empirical finding: Adolescents and adults in highconflict non-divorced households have poorer adjustment than those in low-conflict divorced households. – Parenting change – Economic stress Physical Abuse in the Family • Associated with family stress • Poverty • Parents’ depression, alcohol abuse, and health problems. • Adolescents are more likely to: • Be aggressive toward peers and adults. • Conduct antisocial behavior and substance use. • Be depressed and anxious. • Poor school achievement • Young people who have been physically abused are at risk for being abusive parents. – Wrong idea about how to take care of their children – Poorly skilled at parenting and coping with life stress Physical Abuse in the Family • Some authoritarian parents physically punish their children when children did not obey. • Is physical punishment physical abuse? • Explain your opinion about physical punishment using parenting styles, attachment theory, or cultural differences – Dr. George Holden (psychologist at Southern Methodist University) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaQKfaVXyvM Sexual Abuse in the Family • Victims are mainly girls. • Young people who have been sexually abused are at risk for: – trusting others • High anxiety, high depression, and high social withdrawal – Either completely avoid any sexual contact or highly promiscuous – Highly suicidal – When raising children • role-reversal – Parents tend to seek support from children. • need for parent’s own protection Youth in Family Relationships • Topics Today – Statistical facts • Focusing on developmental periods • Focusing on cultures – 3 theoretical approaches to understanding family interactions • Parenting Styles • Attachment Theory • Family Systems Approach – Special types of families • Divorced vs. non-divorced families • Physical abuse in families • Sexual abuse in families Types of Family Relationships in Youth • Relationships with adolescents and emerging Adults in families: – Mother – Father – Siblings – Extended Family Members – Romantic partner (or husband/wife) – Their own children