ADOLESCENT-PARENT CONFLICT IN BOMBAY (IN) AND MINNEAPOLIS (MN) IN RELATION TO SOCIAL CLASS AND FAMILY ROLES

• NCJ Number: 60114
• Author(s): M STRAUS; M M VASQUEZ
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 22 pages
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: REPRINT FROM SOCIOLOGIA INTERNATIONALIS, V 13, N 1-2 (DECEMBER 1978), P 170-190

Annotation

RESULTS OF AN EXPERIMENT TESTING THE SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY OF PARENT-ADOLESCENT CONFLICT AS A PRODUCT OF THE HIERARCHICALLY ORGANIZED FAMILY SYSTEMS ARE PRESENTED.

Abstract

THE DAVIS THEORY OF ADOLESCENT-PARENT CONFLICT WAS TESTED ON 1,022 ADOLESCENTS IN BOMBAY, INDIA, AND 530 ADOLESCENTS IN MINNEAPOLIS, MONNESOTA, USING A 10 ITEM ADOLESCENT-PARENT CONFLICT SCALE. THE FINDINGS SUPPORT THE THEORY AND ALSO SUGGEST A NEEDED SPECIFICATION. FINDINGS SHOWED THAT IN BOTH CITIES CONFLICT IS LOWEST FOR THE MIDDLE-CLASS GIRLS AND HIGHEST FOR THE WORKING-CLASS BOYS. IN ADDITION, THE MOST DIRECT TEST OF THE THEORY PRODUCED THE PREDICTED POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN PARENTAL POWER AND ADOLESCENT-PARENT CONFLICT ONLY IN MINNEAPOLIS. IN BOMBAY, THE OPPOSITE WAS FOUND; THE GREATER THE PARENTAL POWER THE LESS THE CONFLICT. THESE REVERSE FINDINGS FOR BOMBAY SUGGEST THAT THE DAVIS THEORY HOLDS ONLY IN SOCIETIES WHICH LEGITIMIZE POWER BY INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT CRITERIA. IN MINNEAPOLIS HIGH ACHIEVEMENT ORIENTATION IS ACCOCIATED WITH LOW CONFLICT; IN BOMBAY, THE REVERSE IS TRUE. THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THESE CORRELATIONS IS CONSISTENT WITH THE DAVIS THEORY SINCE INDIVIDUALISTIC ACHIEVEMENT VALUES ARE NOT A CROSS-GENERATIONALLY SHARED CULTURAL ELEMENT IN INDIAN SOCIETY AS THEY ARE IN AMERICAN SOCIETY. FOOTNOTES AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED IN THE ARTICLE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LWM)