Summary
Parents and their adolescent children tend to disagree about children's responsibilities in the family, particularly when it comes to caring for parents and household chores. We explored whether this disagreement is similar in three ethnic groups or whether it depends on ethnic background and acculturation. More particularly we investigated: (a) how adolescents and parents perceive family obligations and to what extent their perceptions differ, (b) to what extent family obligations are shaped by ethnic background and acculturation experiences, and (c) to what extent intergenerational discrepancies in family obligations are linked to adolescents' well-being (i.e., self-esteem, life satisfaction, psychological problems, and behavioral problems). Seventy-four Surinamese, 115 Turkish, and 92 national adolescent-parent dyads living in the Netherlands completed a survey on adolescents' family obligations. Across ethnic groups, parents reported more family obligations than their children. Turkish and Surinamese families reported more family obligations than did national families. Secondly, intergenerational discrepancies in family obligations were related to ethnicity and acculturation. Finally, larger intergenerational discrepancies coincided with lower life satisfaction and more behavioral problems. In short, intergenerational discrepancies in family obligations may be a common phenomenon, but this phenomenon also depends on families' ethnic background and acculturation experiences.
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Extract
Adolescents' Obligations Toward Their Families: Intergenerational Discrepancies and Well-Being in Three Ethnic Groups in the Netherlands
INTRODUCTION
Conflicts between parents and their adolescent children about children's contribution to chores and taking responsibility for family life are quite common. Adolescents generally report that they should have fewer obligations, whereas parents typically want thek children to take up more responsibilities (cf. Aycan & Kanungo, 1998; Dekovic, 1999; Fuügni, Tseng, & Lam, 1999; Rispens, Hermanns, & Meeuws, 1996). Henceforth we refer to this situation in terms of intergenerational discrepancies in family obligations. These discrepancies may negatively affect youths' psychological well-being (Rosenthal, Ranieri, & KIimidis, 1996). Steinberg (1990) suggests that disagreements between parents and adolescents may be considered part of normal developmental processes and are therefore not very disruptive in Western societies. However, in particular ethnic groups where norms of respect for parents prevail, differences within the family may be associated with greater problems (Markus & Lin, 1999), especiaUy when famiUes from these ethnic groups are citizens of Western societies (Costigan & Dokis, 2006; Nguyen & Williams, 1989). We investigated this issue in a study on discrepancies between parents and adolescents regarding family obligations among Dutch famiUes and two of the largest immigrant groups in Netherlands: Turkish and Surinamese immigrants. Family obUgations are defined in this study as adolescents' and parents' perceived communality of household chores, obethence to parents and a need to support the family and parents (cf. Phinney, Kim- Jo, Osorio, & VUhjalmsdottir, 2005). We examined discrepancies between adolescents and parents, specifically whether parents want a stronger compliance to famUy obligations than their children.The study of intergenerational discrepancies in family obUgations is largely inspired by its possible impact on adolescents' weU-being (e.g., Harker, 2001). Although we also are interested in this relationship, our primary interest concerns wheth...See the full content of this document
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