Identity Development of Bicultural Offspring: The Impact of Conflict Between Parents From Different Cultures
Location
Guzman Lecture Hall, Dominican University of California
Start Date
4-20-2017 6:00 PM
End Date
4-20-2017 7:00 PM
Student Type
Undergraduate
Faculty Mentor(s)
Ian Madfes, Ph.D.
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
As societies become more diverse, it is becoming common for adults of different ethnicities to parent together. This creates a potential for parents to clash in cultural views and beliefs taught on their offspring, which may impact the ego development of the children.
Previous research found an essential link between concrete identity formation and a greater sense of multicultural identity (Stepney, Sanchez, and Handy, 2015). Ang (2006) concluded this is related to parent-child relationships; in the Asian culture, the father plays a greater role than the mother on adolescent identity development. Sousal conflict is also considered to have an impact in that parents were more likely to manipulatively impose on the child emotionally and psychologically; consequently, interparental conflict and parenting styles was found to be a significant contributor to the development of certain personalities in adolescents (Gong, 2016).
However, other researches have found no clear patterns that demonstrate unique characteristics of being “biracial”, nor its affect on one’s self-esteem and racial identity (Bracey, Bamaca, Umana-Taylor, 2004). Baltas and Steptoe (2000) concluded that individually varied psychological well-being is not linked to acculturation, but that the individual’s perception of the cultural incompatibility has bearing on the marital conflicts.
Given the pattern of the strong influence of parental styles and parent-child relationships of development, it is clear that these are also important factors influencing the bicultural child’s sense of personal identity. The present study will evaluate if bicultural offspring’s identity development would be impacted by any existing incompatibility between parents’ cultural beliefs and values. It is hypothesized that bicultural children’s identity developments will be negatively impacted by exposure to parent-parent cultural incompatibilities.
Methodology includes online data collection of demographics, cultural background, exposure to family cultures, and measures of parental cultural conflict and cultural identity of child. Results will be available in April 2017.
Identity Development of Bicultural Offspring: The Impact of Conflict Between Parents From Different Cultures
Guzman Lecture Hall, Dominican University of California
As societies become more diverse, it is becoming common for adults of different ethnicities to parent together. This creates a potential for parents to clash in cultural views and beliefs taught on their offspring, which may impact the ego development of the children.
Previous research found an essential link between concrete identity formation and a greater sense of multicultural identity (Stepney, Sanchez, and Handy, 2015). Ang (2006) concluded this is related to parent-child relationships; in the Asian culture, the father plays a greater role than the mother on adolescent identity development. Sousal conflict is also considered to have an impact in that parents were more likely to manipulatively impose on the child emotionally and psychologically; consequently, interparental conflict and parenting styles was found to be a significant contributor to the development of certain personalities in adolescents (Gong, 2016).
However, other researches have found no clear patterns that demonstrate unique characteristics of being “biracial”, nor its affect on one’s self-esteem and racial identity (Bracey, Bamaca, Umana-Taylor, 2004). Baltas and Steptoe (2000) concluded that individually varied psychological well-being is not linked to acculturation, but that the individual’s perception of the cultural incompatibility has bearing on the marital conflicts.
Given the pattern of the strong influence of parental styles and parent-child relationships of development, it is clear that these are also important factors influencing the bicultural child’s sense of personal identity. The present study will evaluate if bicultural offspring’s identity development would be impacted by any existing incompatibility between parents’ cultural beliefs and values. It is hypothesized that bicultural children’s identity developments will be negatively impacted by exposure to parent-parent cultural incompatibilities.
Methodology includes online data collection of demographics, cultural background, exposure to family cultures, and measures of parental cultural conflict and cultural identity of child. Results will be available in April 2017.