Parenting styles and values : mechanisms of intergenerational continuity and discontinuity
- WCU Author/Contributor (non-WCU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Melissa Florence Littlewood (Creator)
- Institution
- Western Carolina University (WCU )
- Web Site: http://library.wcu.edu/
- Advisor
- Bruce Henderson
Abstract: Do parenting styles continue from generation to generation? It is counter-intuitive to
think that parenting styles do not continue from generation to generation, yet many
researchers have found this to be true (Campbell & Gilmore, 2007; Covell, Grusec, &
King, 1995; Staples & Warden Smith, 1954; Woods, Glavin, & Kettle, 1960). When we
look at the major events of the 20th century, such as the Great Depression, World War II,
and the rise of divorce rates, we can also see changes in social behavior and family
structure, either as a direct or indirect result of these major events (e.g. Elder, 1974,
1994). Americans seem to be more individualistic today than they were 75 years ago,
perhaps as one of the indirect results of these major events (Stearns, 2003). Many
researchers have found strong correlations between parenting styles and cultural
variables, such as collectivism and individualism (Baumrind, 1991). Research on
intergenerational transmissions and continuity of parenting styles, behaviors, and values
within families in the past 75 years provides strong evidence that parenting styles change
over time, even from generation to generation within families. Therefore the present
study asks the questions, have individualistic values increased with time over the past 75 years? And, have parenting style trends gone toward emphasizing higher warmth and
lower control from generation to generation? Triads of grandmothers, mothers, and
daughters were used, each generation representing a different cohort (the Children of the
Great Depression, Baby Boomers, and women who grew up in the 1990s). Maternal
warmth and control were measured by the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI, Parker,
Tupling, & Brown, 1979). Individualistic values, as measured by a rank-order scale
(Bengston, 1975), rose significantly from generation to generation, as did parental
warmth. There was no significant difference in the use of parental control from
generation to generation within these families. The present study also found that although
number of hours worked per week while raising their daughters did not increase
significantly from grandmothers to mothers, there did exist a significant decrease (from
the grandmother generation to the mother generation) in number of nights per week
families ate dinner altogether while raising their daughters. These findings support much
of the research which suggests that changing views of society may play a key role in the
discontinuity of parenting practices from generation to generation.
Parenting styles and values : mechanisms of intergenerational continuity and discontinuity
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Created on 3/1/2009
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Thesis
- Language: English
- Date: 2009
- Keywords
- continuity, individualism, Intergenerational, parenting, society, transmission
- Subjects
- Child rearing
- Parenting
- Social change