1. Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. C H A P T E R Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 9 Families “It is not enough for parents to understand children. They must accord children the privilege of understanding them.” — Milton Saperstein American Author, 20 th Century “It is not enough for parents to understand children. They must accord children the privilege of understanding them.” — Milton Saperstein American Author, 20 th Century

2. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 2 Family Processes Reciprocal Socialization –The process by which children and adolescents socialize parents, just as parents socialize them

3. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 3 The Family as a System Interaction Between Adolescents and Their Parents: Direct and Indirect Effects Fig. 9.1

4. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 4 Marital Relationships and Parenting Happily married parents –Sensitive, warm, responsive affectionate Marital satisfaction –Better parenting

5. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 5 The Developmental Construction of Relationships Developmental construction views share the belief that as individuals grow up, they acquire modes of relating to others

6. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 6 The Developmental Construction of Relationships Continuity View –Emphasizes the role that early parent- child relationships play in constructing a basic way of relating to people throughout the life span

7. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 7 The Developmental Construction of Relationships Discontinuity View –A developmental view that emphasizes change and growth over time

8. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 8 Illustration copyright © 2002 www.arttoday.com. Used with permission. Maturation Adolescent Changes Parental Changes

9. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 9 Illustration copyright © 2002 www.arttoday.com. Used with permission. Parents as Managers Parents can be conceptualized as managers of their children’s lives –Managers of children’s opportunities –Monitors of social relationships –Social initiators and arrangers

10. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 10 Parent-Adolescent Relationships Fourfold Scheme of Parenting Styles Fig. 9.2

11. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 11 Parenting Styles and Ethnicity Traditional Asian childrearing practices are often continued by Asian-American families –Concern and involvement rather than strict authoritarian control African-American parents are more likely to use physical punishment than others

12. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 12 Gender, Parenting, and Coparenting The Mother’s Role –More involved than fathers Father’s Role –New role as active, nurturant caregiver Coparenting –Easier when mother and father cooperate

13. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 13 Parent-Adolescent Conflict The Generation Gap Everyday events of life 20% of families — unhealthy conflict –Originated prior to adolescence There is less conflict in some cultures than in others

14. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 14 Parent-Adolescent Relationships Autonomy and Attachment –The ability to attain autonomy and gain control over one’s behavior in adolescence is acquired through appropriate adult reactions to the adolescent’s desire for control

15. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 15 Autonomy Issues The complexity of adolescent autonomy –Emotional autonomy Gender –Boys – more independence Culture –In U.S. – adolescents want more autonomy College transition –Increased autonomy

16. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 16 Autonomy Issues Runaways –Unhappy at home –Gradual process –Susceptible to drug abuse

17. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 17 Attachment Issues Secure attachment –Primary caregiver — secure base to explore the environment –Important foundation for later psychological development

18. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 18 Attachment Issues Insecure attachment –Infants avoid the caregiver or show resistance –Related to difficulties in relationships and problems in development

19. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 19 Insecure Attachment Dismissing/avoidant –Individuals deemphasize the importance of attachment –Associated with rejection by caregivers

20. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 20 Insecure Attachment Preoccupied/ambivalent –Hypertuned to attachment experiences –May occur because parents are inconsistently available

21. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 21 Insecure Attachment Unresolved/disorganized –Unusually high level of fear –Disoriented –Can result from traumatic experiences such as abuse or parent’s death

22. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 22 Sibling Relationships Strong socializing influence Sibling conflict is lower in adolescence than in childhood Birth order –Differences between first-borns and later-borns have been reported

23. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 23 Adolescents from divorced families are more likely to have: –Academic Problems –Externalized Problems –Internalized Problems The majority, however, do not have these problems Divorced Families

24. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 24 Divorced Families Divorce and Children’s Emotional Problems Fig. 9.5

25. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 25 Divorced Families Should Parents Stay Together for the Children? –Unhappy marriage can be harmful to well-being of children –Diminished resources can be harmful to children

26. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 26 Divorced Families Family Processes After Divorce –Harmonious Relationships and Authoritative Parenting improved adjustment of adolescents

27. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 27 Divorced Families Factors that increase risk vulnerability –Personality and temperament –Developmental status –Gender –Custody –Relocation

28. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 28 Divorced Families Socioeconomic Status –Mothers lose 25 to 50% of pre-divorce income –Father’s lose 10%

29. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 29 Illustration copyright © 2002 www.arttoday.com. Used with permission. Stepfamilies Types of stepfamily structure: –Stepfather –Stepmother –Blended or complex Relationship types: –Neo-traditional –Matriarchal –Romantic

30. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 30 Stepfamilies Adjustment –Boundary ambiguity: The uncertainty in stepfamilies about who is in or out of the family and who is performing or responsible for certain tasks in the family system

31. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 31 Working Parents Illustration copyright © 2002 www.arttoday.com. Used with permission. Working Mothers –Fact of modern life –No negative effects

32. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 32 Working Parents Latchkey Adolescents –Unsupervised for 2-4 hours –Some have negative experience Illustration copyright © 2002 www.arttoday.com. Used with permission.

33. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 33 Adoption Adoption is the social and legal process by which a parent-child relationship is established between persons unrelated at birth –Early adoption often has better outcomes for the child than later adoption

34. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 34 Gay and Lesbian Parents Diversity –Most born into heterosexual relationship Gay or lesbian parents –Single –Same gender partner

35. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 35 Gay and Lesbian Parents Effects –No differences in adjustment –Most have heterosexual orientation

36. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 36 Ethnicity and Parenting Large, extended families more common among ethnic minorities. Ethnic differences often attributable to differences in socioeconomic status and resources.

37. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 37 Social Policy, Adolescents, and Families The Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development - key suggestions to improve social policy: –Engage parents and adolescents in activities both enjoy –Professionals who work with adolescents increase time spent with the adolescent’s family –Employers extend work/family policy to free parents to spend more time with teenagers –Community institutions promote more after- school programs

38. Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill 38 Taking it to the Net For more information on material covered in this chapter, visit our Online Learning Center: http://www.mhhe.com/santrocka11