sec ed 340 family presentation

Courtney, Caitlin, Stephanie, Collin

& Aimee

FamiliesChapter 4

Generation Gap:

Generation Gap:

Generation Gap:

Generation Gap:

It’s smaller than you think.

The Actual Conflict:

How parents and teens define the problem.

Family Relationships:

Do best growing up in family that permits individual development with close family ties.

Adolescents adjust better perceiving their families different than their parents.

Parents

The sex of adolescent isn’t as influential on relationships as the sex of the adolescent.

Difference between sons and daughters isn’t that different.  They tend to have the same degree of closeness, interaction, conflict, similar types of rules (and disagreements about those rules), and patterns of activity. 

Mother

Tend to be closer to their mothers- spend more time together, talk about problems.

Tend to fight more with mothers but conflict doesn’t jeopardize closeness.

Father

Perceived as relatively distant authority figure consulted for objective information rather than guidance.

Siblings

Same companionship and importance level when compared to parents, but compare more to friends in terms of power, assistance and satisfaction of the relationship.

Sibling relationships become more egalitarian but more distant and less emotionally intense.

Relationships that were closer in middle childhood are closer in young adolescence.

Sibling relationships are marked by conflict and rivalry, but also nurturance and social support.  Conflict usually increases from childhood to early adolescence.

Quality of parent-adolescent relationshipsquality of relations among brothers and sistersadolescents relationships with peers

Positive sibling relationships = adolescent school competence, sociability, autonomy, and self-worth

Siblings can influence development of problem behavior

Parenting Styles:

Authoritative

Authoritative: Are both demanding and responsive. "They monitor and impart clear standards for their children’s conduct. They are assertive, but not intrusive and restrictive. Their disciplinary methods are supportive, rather than punitive. They want their children to be assertive as well as socially responsible, and self-regulated as well as cooperative" Frequently engaging in discussion and explanation with their children over matters of discipline.

Warm, but Firm! :)

Authoritarian

Authoritarian--> Are highly demanding and directive, but not responsive. Verbal give-and-take is not common. Child should accept without question.

Obedience and Conformity!

Indulgent

Indulgent--> Are more responsive than they are demanding. They are nontraditional and lenient, do not require mature behavior, allow considerable self-regulation, and avoid confrontation. Give the child high degree of Freedom to act as he or she wishes. Don’t want to infringe on the child’s freedom. They are a resource the child may or may not use.

Passive

Indifferent

Indifferent---> Are low in both responsiveness and demandingness. Try to do whatever necessary to minimize the time and energy that they most devote to interacting with their child. Know little about their child’s activities or whereabouts. Rarely converse with child or consider child’s opinion.

Parent Centered

Ethnic Differences in Parenting Practice:

Do parents from different ethnic groups vary in their child rearing? Is the relation between parenting and adolescent outcomes the same across different ethnic groups?

• Authoritative parenting= less in ethnic minorities but still beneficial

• Authoritarian parenting (high in demandingness but low in responsiveness) more prevalent among minorities than whites.

• Authoritarian v. Authoritative for ethnic minorities; not as harmful as it is for white adolescents.

• Why? Dangerous neighborhoods, white researchers may be mistaking authoritarian rearing in ethnic minorities

Behavioral Genetics and Adolescent Development:

•Behavioral genetics- scientific study of genetic influences on behavior.•Genetics v. environment•Shared environmental influences- factors in common•Non-shared environmental influences- not similar•Why are siblings so different? Different family experiences, treated differently, perceive similar experiences in different ways•Should parents treat all children the same? •Sibling deidentification- often deliberately try to be different from each other

Adolescent Family in a Changing Society:

Divorce:

Studies show it is the process of divorce rather than the resulting family structure that has the greatest effect on adolescents.

Immediate problems are more common among boys and young children.

Adolescents whose parents divorce can show signs of adjustment difficulties up to three years later.

Marital Conflict

Children exposed to high levels of marital unhappiness experience higher levels of stress.

Tensions between marriage partners bleed into the child-parent relationship, making mothers and fathers more hostile and less effective as parents.

Adolescents who feel their parents are uncaring or hostile experience a wide range of emotional and behavioral problems than their peers. 

Remarriage

Adolescents raised in a step family tend to have more problems than their peers because they are exposed to a "double dose" of marital conflict.

Adolescents fair better when the stepparent can establish a consistent, supportive, authoritative style of discipline.

Parental Employment

Full-time maternal employment during high school years is associated with lower grades and school performance among boys, but not girls.

Economic Stress & Poverty

A loss in income during adolescence is associated with difficulties including diminished sense of mastery, increased emotional distress, academic and interpersonal problems and delinquency.

Parents under economic strain are less involved, less nurturing, harsher, and less consistent in their discipline.

Importance of the family in adolescent development:

Parent’s that are caring, involved, and accepting are the most important factor in a teen’s health, happiness, and competence.

The End