Parenting styles (PS) are extensively researched (Lei, et al., 2018; Sangaw, Adams, Reissland, 2018), as parents are experts on their own children (Glascoe, 1998). Culture impacts PS as an individual’s exposure to culture affects their norms and values; which act as a ‘rulebook’ for parenting (Keshavarz, Somayeh & Baharudin 2009; Bornstein, 2012). Thus, identifying family models such as independence and interdependence is imperative to better understand and predict differences in PS and cater to different children’s needs.
Independence family model is commonly found within Western cultures (e.g America, UK) (Bornstein, 2012), whereas interdependence family model is representative of Non-Western cultures (Africa, Asia) (Berry, et al., 2011). Children learn what’s desired of them from their parents. Research demonstrates that American parents attempt to instil autonomy, assertiveness, verbal proficiency and independence in their children (Suizzo, Robinson & Pahlke 2008; Bornstein, 2012), whereas Japanese parents try to instil interdependence, emotional maturity, responsibility to the family and intergenerational respect (Bird 2010; Bornstein 2012). Differences in self-criticism and self-enhancement are found between Japanese and US students in regard to the effects of positive and negative incidents affecting their self-esteem (Kitayama, Markus, Matsumoto & Norasakkunkit, 1997); with US students reporting increased self-esteem from positive life events, and Japanese students reporting decreased.
This shows the effect that autonomy and independence have on individual’s self-judgement; and highlights issues surrounding migration and possible mental health problems. More research is required to ensure these are not oversimplified ideas (Medin, Unsworth & Hirschfeld, 2007) that are overly generalised (Berry, et al., 2011), so that educators can bridge cultural differences to ensure all children are free to govern their selves and the direction of their lives (Berry, et al., 2011).
References:
Berry, J. W., Poortinga, Y. H., Breugelmans, S. M., Chasiotis, A., & Sam, D. (2011). Cross-cultural psychology: Theory and applications (3rd Ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Bird, K. (2010). The Intergenerational Transmission of Poverty: An Overview. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.1629262
Bornstein M. H. (2012). Cultural Approaches to Parenting. Parenting, science and practice, 12(2-3), 212-221.
Glascoe, F. P. (1998). Collaborating with parents: Using Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status to detect and address developmental and behavioral problems. Nashville, TN, US: Ellsworth & Vandermeer Press.
Keshavarz, Somayeh, Baharudin, & Rozumah (2009) Parenting style in a collectivist cultures of Malaysia. European Journal of Social Sciences, 10 (1). pp. 66-73. ISSN 1450-2267
Kitayama, S., Markus, H., Matsumoto, H., & Norasakkunkit, V. (1997). Individual and collective processes in the construction of the self: Self-enhancement in the United States and self-criticism in Japan. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, 72(6), 1245-1267. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.72.6.1245
Lei, H., Chiu, M. M., Cui, Y., Zhou, W., & Li, S. (2018). Parenting style and aggression: a meta-analysis of mainland Chinese children and youth. Children and Youth Services Review, 94, 446–455. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.07.033
Medin, D. L., Unsworth, S. J., and Hirschfeld, L. (2007). Culture, categorization and reasoning. In S. Kitayama and D. Cohen (eds.), Handbook of cultural psychology (pp. 615 – 644). New York: Guildford Press.
Sangawi, H., Adams, J., & Reissland, N. (2018). The impact of parenting styles on children developmental outcome: The role of academic self‐concept as a mediator. International Journal of Psychology, 53(5), 379–387. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijop.12380
Suizzo, M.-A., Robinson, C., & Pahlke, E. (2008). African American mothers’ socialization beliefs and goals with young children: Themes of history, education, and collective independence. Journal of Family Issues, 29(3), 287–316. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X07308368
Reflections on Culture in Psychology 