Understanding Context and Culture in the Parenting Approaches of Immigrant South Asian Mothers

Abstract

This qualitative study of the parenting approaches of immigrant South Asian Canadian mothers found that character formation and identity formation were the mothers' key goals of parenting. Internalized cultural values, beliefs, and norms and external factors related to their social context and environment, such as collectivism, dual socialization, and environmental stress, guided the mothers' approaches to parenting. Social service providers need to be aware that racial-minority mothers think through their approaches to parenting to respond to social contexts that have negative consequences for their children and should include this understanding in their provision of services.

Universal school-based mental health programmes for multicultural contexts: insights and potential for cultivating safe, socially inclusive schools

“…Literature on cultural group values may help determine what is healthy or not (e.g. Schwartz, 1999), so can new understandings that acknowledge that identities and practices are self-constructed and negotiated (Este & Tachble, 2009;Kirmayer et al, 2009;Maiter & George, 2003) -analogous to our finding that cultural beliefs and practices sometimes change over time.…”

Physical Abuse among Asian Families in the Canadian Child Welfare System

“…There are growing numbers of empirical and conceptual articles examining ethno-cultural differences in parenting practices of Asian families in North America (Cheng Gorman, 1998;Haskett, Allaire, Kreig, & Hart, 2008;Kelley & Tseng, 1992;Maiter, Alaggia, & Trocmé, 2004;Maiter & George, 2003;Xu et al, 2005); perceptions of discipline (Park, 2001); child maltreatment (Chang, Rhee, & Weaver, 2006;Ima & Hohm, 1991;Pelczarski & Kemp, 2006;Rhee, Chang, Weaver, & Wong, 2008); and the intersections of culture, parenting, and child maltreatment (Earner, 2007;Elliott & Urquiza, 2006;Garbarino & Ebata, 1983;Larsen, Kim-Goh, & Nguyen, 2008;Zhai & Gao, 2009). Furthermore, there is debate within the child welfare community about the differences between physical abuse and corporal discipline.…”

Decision Making Styles: A Systematic Review of Their Associations with Parenting

“…These implications include diminished behavior that affects health and well-being, depressive symptomology, negative life events as a result of poor decision making, and engaging in risky behavior and risk-taking (Di Fabio 2006;Jewell and Stark 2003;Roche et al 2005). These associations, however, are not deemed universal and applicable across different societal groups (Supple and Small 2006;Maiter and George 2003).…”

“…Western societies promote parenting that display warmth and promote autonomy, while parenting in Asian (non-Western or ethnic minority groups) societies promotes more restrictive and authoritarian parenting (Supple and Small 2006;Maiter and George 2003;Parke 2000). The ideal on which Western society is based is that of personal development and independence, while non-Western societies are based on the development of the group and interdependence (Supple and Small 2006;Aunola and Nurmi 2005;Bush et al 2002).…”