Cross-Cultural Differences in Socialization Goals and Parental Ethnotheories

Putnam, Samuel P.; Gartstein, Maria A.; Broos, Hannah C.; Casalin, Sara; Lecannelier, Felipe

doi:10.4324/9781315203713-6

Cited by 5 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 1 publication

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The parental role in child development is an area of research that has received substantial consideration within various fields, including anthropology, sociology, education, medicine, and psychology. While significant understanding has been acquired regarding how different skills (e.g., cognitive, socioemotional) are transmitted from parents to children and across differing cultures, varying theories posit how parents relay their culture’s specific values to children (LeVine, 1974; Okagaki & Divecha, 1993; Putnam et al, 2018; Sigel et al, 1992; Super & Harkness, 1986). Globally, the representative cultural beliefs and practices of a community impact the parents’ approach toward the rearing and socialization of their children in order to transmit values that remain consistent within the group (Cheah & Rubin, 2003; Harkness & Super, 2021; Kagitçibasi, 1996, 2012; LeVine et al, 1988; J.…”

Section: Socialization Goals and Parental Ethnotheoriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultural values and parental psychology: A multilevel analysis from the Joint Effort Toddler Temperament Consortium.

Sehic,

French,

Majdandžić

et al. 2024

Journal of Family Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The present study aims to gain a greater understanding of the manner in which culture may impact parenting and, thus, child development by examining the relationship between cultural values, socialization goals (SGs), and parental ethnotheories (PEs). Specifically, this study examined links between cultural value dimensions (i.e., individualism/collectivism, power distance, masculinity/femininity, uncertainty avoidance, indulgence/restraint, and long-term/short-term orientation; Hofstede et al., 2010) and autonomous as well as relational SGs and PEs. We examined data collected from mothers of toddlers (N = 865) between 17 and 40 months of age (M = 26.88 months, SD = 5.65 months; 52% boys) from 14 nations represented in the Joint Effort Toddler Temperament Consortium. We hypothesized that: (a) Cultural values consistent with independent cultural ideals would be positively associated with SGs and PEs representative of greater autonomy and independence, and (b) Cultural values consistent with interdependent ideals would be positively associated with SGs and PEs representative of greater interrelatedness. Multilevel modeling was used to regress parental psychology on Hofstede's cultural values. Support for these hypotheses was somewhat mixed; higher ratings of culture-level indulgence were associated with higher autonomous PEs, as well as with higher relational and autonomous SGs. Furthermore, higher ratings of culture-level masculinity were associated with lower relational PEs and with lower autonomous SGs. The results suggest differences in the effects for cultural values associated with parenting versus cultural values associated with child outcomes and highlight considerations related to dichotomous cultural frameworks. The findings help explain both individual-and country-level variations in aspects of parental psychology. This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.This article was published Online First July 25, 2024. Thania Galvan served as action editor. Ela Sehic https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1899-2573 Prior dissemination of the findings from this research project includes a poster presentation at the July 2022 International Congress of Infant Studies conference in Ottawa, Canada. This study was not preregistered. Data and the code used for analyses will be available upon request from Ela Sehic.Ela Sehic played a lead role in formal analysis, writing-original draft, and writing-review and editing. Brian F. French played a supporting role in formal analysis, writing-original draft, and writing-review and editing. Mirjana Majdandžić played an equal role in conceptualization, data curation, methodology, and project administration. Zhengyan Wang played an continued

show abstract

Section: Socialization Goals and Parental Ethnotheoriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultural values and parental psychology: A multilevel analysis from the Joint Effort Toddler Temperament Consortium.

Sehic,

French,

Majdandžić

et al. 2024

Journal of Family Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Along the same lines, what parents deem important and how they want to raise their children also varies across cultures. These cross‐cultural differences in parenting goals originate from differences in cultural dimensions such as collectivism/individualism, power distance, or femininity (Putnam, Gartstein, Broos, Casalin & Lecannelier, 2018). For example, in more collectivistic cultures, parents’ primary goal is to promote relatedness and embeddedness in their children (Feldman, Masalha & Derdikman‐Eiron, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In line with a cultural values model of parenting (Lamborn & Felbab, 2003), we argue that there may be cultural differences in this association as a function of patterns of collectivism versus individualism and differences in power distance. Culture shapes parental response to child behavior (Han, Park, Lee, Linharez & Slobodskaya, 2018) in light of underlying parenting goals (Putnam et al ., 2018). In more individualistic countries, independence and autonomy are primary parenting goals, so that early adolescents are encouraged to express their emotions (including negative emotions) and thoughts (Feldman et al ., 2010; Rothbaum, Nagaoka & Ponte, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parent‐early adolescent relationship quality and problem behavior in Hungary, the Netherlands, India, and Iceland

Hillekens

Buist

Horváth

et al. 2020

Scandinavian J Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Higher parent-child relationship quality has been associated with less internalizing and externalizing problem behavior. However, it remained less clear whether these associations are universal or depend on the country under investigation. Furthermore, fathers are still understudied, even though there is increasing evidence of their important role in early adolescent development. Our study compared the association of mother-child as well as father-child relationship quality with early adolescents' problem behavior in four culturally different countries, namely Hungary (N = 293; M age = 11.22; 53% boys), the Netherlands (N = 242; M age = 11.20; 48% boys), India (N = 230; M age = 10.68; 61% boys), and Iceland (N = 261; M age = 10.90; 53% boys). Early adolescents filled out questionnaires in their classroom, assessing warmth and conflict with fathers and mothers and internalizing and externalizing problem behavior. Stepwise multi-group path analysis demonstrated no cross-cultural differences in associations between quality of the parent-child relationship and problem behavior. We did not find any effects of maternal or paternal warmth. However, across samples conflict with mothers was associated with more internalizing and externalizing problem behavior, and conflict with fathers was associated with more externalizing problem behavior. Our findings highlight the need to target conflict with both fathers and mothers in interventions across different countries, especially when addressing externalizing problem behavior.

show abstract

“…The relations among culture, parents' socialization goals, parental ethnotheories, and parenting practices can be described by the model presented in Figure 1, adapted from Keller et al (2006) and Putnam et al (2018). According to the model, cultural values frame both parents' socialization goals and their ethnotheories (beliefs as to how those goals are attained).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Those relational goals were Source. Adapted from the studies by Keller et al (2006) and Putnam et al (2018) also evident in a review of Costa Rican studies of parenting; parents desired that their children be responsible, respectful, polite, honest, and kind (Rosabal-Coto, 2012). However, there was also diversity in parenting goals within Costa Rica.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“What Defines Us as People Is How We Treat Others”: Ethnotheories, Socialization Goals, and Practices of “Exemplary” Guatemalan Mothers

Gibbons,

Niklaus,

Serverian-Wilmeth

2023

Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Parenting beliefs and practices are deeply embedded in cultural values, ideologies, and norms. The cultural ecologies of Guatemala, a Central American country, highlight familism, religiosity, and collectivism. To understand the parenting goals, parental ethnotheories, and parenting practices of a group of highly educated, economically advantaged Guatemalan mothers of school-age children, we conducted a qualitative study about their goals for their children and ways of inculcating desired qualities. The nine mothers had been nominated by school staff as outstanding mothers. After asking open-ended questions about desired goals and parenting strategies, we posed dilemmas adapted from the United States National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Spanish-language booklet, “¿Qué significa ser padres?” (“What does it mean to be parents?”). Interviews took place in an unoccupied school classroom and lasted an average of 37 minutes; they were recorded and transcribed in the original Spanish. Coding according to reflexive thematic analysis was conducted in Spanish by two members of the research team. Interpersonal relatedness, kindness, and prosocial behavior were foremost among the mothers’ socialization goals. Ethnotheories included the importance of providing both love and limits, recognizing individual differences among children, and promoting children’s autonomy. Mothers’ parenting strategies emphasized preserving emotional intimacy, taking children’s perspectives, and rejecting permissiveness. These goals and practices derive from Guatemalan cultural values of collectivism, familism, and religiosity, in which interpersonal relationships are prioritized. Well-educated, economically advantaged Guatemalan mothers endorsed socialization goals and parenting practices that differed from Western prescriptions. The findings imply that cultural values should inform parenting interventions.

show abstract

Cross-Cultural Differences in Socialization Goals and Parental Ethnotheories

Cited by 5 publications

References 1 publication

Cultural values and parental psychology: A multilevel analysis from the Joint Effort Toddler Temperament Consortium.

Cultural values and parental psychology: A multilevel analysis from the Joint Effort Toddler Temperament Consortium.

Parent‐early adolescent relationship quality and problem behavior in Hungary, the Netherlands, India, and Iceland

“What Defines Us as People Is How We Treat Others”: Ethnotheories, Socialization Goals, and Practices of “Exemplary” Guatemalan Mothers

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About