Family Relationships

• Family Systems approach• Dyadic, triadic, quadradic

relationships, all influencing each other

• Change causes disequilibrium

• Adolescence a time of normal disequilibrium

• Less closeness with parents, esp. mom

Parents at midlife• Midlife is generally a

happy and positive stage of life – often much stress with teens, though

• Once children leave home, generally parents’ happiness improves

Sibling relationships

• Types: caregiver, buddy, criticism, rival, casual• “traditional” cultures – caregiver type most

common• U.S. - Typically more conflict between sibs than

other dyads – level of closeness reported as fairly low

• Traditional cultures – conflict low – established status differences

• Typically very important relationships, and source of emotional support

Extended family• Traditional cultures – males remain in home,

females move out into home of husband

• Traditional cultures – live with extended family in same home

• Closeness to grandparents facilitated by the fact that they are not the child’s disciplinarian

• More important in lives of American “minority” groups

Parenting Styles• Diana Baumrind• Demandingness,

responsiveness• Authoritative, Authoritarian,

Indulgent, Indifferent• Class origins; middle class

promotes autonomy, working class promotes obedience

4,000 U.S. adolescents age 14-18

Outcomes• Authoritarian – too much control, little warmth -

dictator approach – you must obey me!– low grades, self-esteem, social skills, dependent,

passive, conforming• Indulgent – caring but too permissive

– low grades, impulse-control, irresponsible, conforming, immature

• Indifferent – little care and control– low self-esteem, impulse-control, impulsive,

delinquent, early sex, drugs

• Authoritative – teaches self-control through positive discipline – and provides much warmth– high grades, self-reliance, control, social skills,

independent, creative, self-confident, socially skilled

Parenting effects cont’d• Probably follows style used in childhood • Parents are not exactly the same• Inconsistency between parents predicts poorer outcomes in

teens• Reciprocal or bidirectional effects• Authoritative parenting rare outside the U.S.• Respect, power, go with age and generational status in most of

the world (this is why many cultures have difficulty with the exportation of our culture through TV throughout the world)

• Baumrind now calls the typical non-western parenting style traditional parenting – high demandingness (obedience), high responsiveness

• India – emphasis on self-sacrifice; little discussion of rules (would be an affront to parental authority – contrast with “Bend it Like Beckam”)

Parenting Styles• Diana Baumrind

Attachment to parents

• Bowlby, Ainsworth

• Secure, insecure

• Internal working model - Secure base

• S.A. in adolescence associated with secure relationships with peers and others, autonomy, lower rates of depression,

Parent-adolescent conflict• Lots of disagreements over trivial things• Mostly tied to parents “letting go” or having

difficulty with this• U.S. – teens gain power in family hierarchy• More conflict in early adolescence, and among

early maturing adolescents• Conflict over responsibility for decisions• Biologically, late adolescents are meant to be out

on their own, making their own decisions

• Non-western cultures – ties to family are more likely economic, promoting interdependence; petty conflicts more rare than in U.S.– Collectivistic ethnotheory

• Rise of divorce rate, single-parent families, dual-worker families

Emerging adults’ relationships with parents

• Leaving home in U.S. usually improves relationships

• Remaining in the home in Europe usually results in good relationships

Family Disruption• Divorce, remarriage, etc• Children of divorced parents more likely to

experience problems• Related to trust, internal working model• Exposure to family conflict• Divorce during early adolescence• Divorce affects quality of parenting• Affects parents directly• Burden usually falls on mother• Remarriage usually not better – more problems

Physical and Sexual abuse• Majority who abuse were abused• But majority who were abused don’t abuse their own

children• Abusers more likely to experience parental conflict, harsh

discipline, or loss of parent• Best predictors of abuse are parental stress and poverty,

psychological problems, and substance abuse• Boys = physically abused, girls=sexually abused• More likely by stepfathers• Physical abuse leads to aggression, antisocial behavior,

substance abuse, depression, academic problems• Sexual abuse = difficulty trusting others, impulsive

sexuality, depression, anxiety, social withdrawal, substance abuse