Work

Mothers’ Goals for Adolescents in the United States and China: Content and Transmission

Year: 2014

Type: article

Abstract: This research examined children's socialization toward culturally valued goals during adolescence in the United States and China. 223 mothers listed and ranked their 5 most important goals for their children (mean age = 12.85 years). Children ranked the importance of the goals listed by their mothers and explained why they were or were not important to them. American mothers placed heightened emphasis on their children maintaining feelings of worth and pursuing what they enjoy. Chinese mothers stressed their children achieving outcomes, as did African American mothers. European American children's rankings of importance were the least similar to those of their mothers, and they gave the fewest autonomous reasons for importance suggesting that their adoption of mothers' goals was weakest.

Source: Journal of Research on Adolescence

DOI: 10.1111/jora.12176

Authors: Yang Qu, Eva M. Pomerantz, Ciping Deng

Institutions: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois System, East China Normal University

Language: English

Topic: Cultural Differences and Values

Subfield: Social Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute of Mental Health