NCJ Number
223249
Journal
Journal of Adolescent Research Volume: 23 Issue: 4 Dated: July 2008 Pages: 488-507
Date Published
July 2008
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This study examined the ways that Russian youth seek autonomy from their parents, and to what extent these youth seek parental guidance in defining and implementing their plans for the future.
Abstract
The study found that Russian adolescents experienced a significant degree of autonomy concerning peer relations and leisure activities, with these social activities not directly supervised by adults, and with degrees of variability in parents' monitoring of out-of-school time. There was less variability in ways that parents supported the children's academic achievement. With recent changes to society in the Russian Federation, a growing emphasis on individualism and a profusion of educational options have created challenges and opportunities for adolescents making the transition to secondary school. Most students reported having autonomy regarding their current academic schoolwork but receiving assistance from their parents with regard to choices about their educational future. High-achieving students were more likely than low-achieving students to report that their parents set limits on their peer activities. The findings suggest that the nature and effectiveness of parental involvement must be evaluated with respect to a particular developmental period and sociocultural context. The perspectives provided indicate that these students experienced less adult supervision, more freedom, and more choice than counterparts in previous generations. To investigate Russian students' perspectives, the study conducted 2 open-ended interviews with 32 ninth graders from 2 public schools in the Moscow city limits, 16 students from each school (8 males and 8 females). Student interview participation was voluntary, and was augmented by achievement data from their teachers and principal interviews, and used an analytic approach to discern relevant data from interview transcripts. Appendix, note, references