Socialization in the Family: Ethnic and Ecological Perspectives

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CHAPTER EIGHT

Socialization is a process in which an individual's standards, skills, motives, attitudes, and behaviors change to conform to those regarded as desirable and appropriate for his or her present and future role in any particular society. Many agents and agencies play a role in the socialization process, including family, peers, schools, and the media. Moreover, it is recognized that these various agents function together rather than independently. Families have been recognized as an early pervasive and highly influential context for socialization. Children are dependent on families for nurturance and support from an early age, which accounts, in part, for their prominence as a socialization agent.

In this chapter, we have several goals. Our primary goal is to expand our framework for conceptualizing the family's role in socialization. This takes several forms, including treating the family as a social system in which parent-child, marital, and sibling subsystems, among others, are recognized. The diversity of family forms has increased in the past several decades and a second goal is to explore the implications of various family configurations for the socialization process. Third, cultural and ethnic variations in family traditions, beliefs, and practices are increasingly being recognized, and a further aim of this chapter is to explore how ethnic diversity informs our understanding of family socialization. Fourth, our goal is to locate family socialization in an ecological context to appreciate how family environments shape and constrain their socialization practices. We demonstrate the value of a life-course perspective on socialization that recognizes the importance of both developmental changes in adult lives and the historical circumstances under which socialization unfolds. Finally, we recognize that families are increasingly diverse in their organization, form, and lifestyle. Some issues are beyond the scope of the chapter including the recent work on gay and lesbian families and research on adopted children.

THEORETICAL APPROACHES TO SOCIALIZATION IN THE FAMILY: HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVES

In this section, we examine historical and contemporary theoretical perspectives on the role of socialization in the family.

Historical Perspectives on Family Socialization Theory

Contemporary Perspectives on Family Socialization Theory

FAMILY SYSTEMS APPROACH TO SOCIALIZATION

The Parent-Child Subsystem: A Tripartite Approach

Parent-Child Relationships: Interaction and Child-Rearing Styles

Quantitative Assessments of Mother and Father Involvement in Intact Families

Parental Instruction, Advice Giving, Consultation, and Rule Provision. Learning about relation-

Parents as Managers of Children's Opportunities

Co-Parenting as a Socialization Strategy

Beyond the Parent-Child Dyad: The Marital Subsystem as a Contributor to Children's Socialization

Influence of Marital Satisfaction and Discord on Child Outcomes

Mechanisms Linking Marital Discord to Children's Adjustment

The Sibling System as a Contributor to Children's Socialization

Influence of Siblings on Child Outcomes

Siblings as Managers of Children's Social Lives

Future Directions for Sibling Research

The Family Unit as a Contributor to Children's Socialization

Putting the Pieces Together: Toward a Multiple Sources Model of Socialization in the Family

DETERMINANTS OF FAMILY SOCIALIZATION STRATEGIES

Child Characteristics

Personal Resources

Parents, Children, and Social Capital

Socioeconomic Status as a Determinant of Family Socialization Strategies

THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL CHANGE ON FAMILY SOCIALIZATION

Women's and Men's Employment Patterns and Family Socialization

Maternal Employment and Children's Development

Quality of Mother and Father Work and Family Socialization

Job Loss and Unemployment

Single versus Multiple Transitions

Children and Families of Color in the United States: Issues of Race, Ethnicity, and Culture

Conceptual and Methodological Issues for Studying Children and Families of Color

Acculturation and Assimilation in United States Society

Socialization of Children of Color

Families of Color

Generational Differences in Family Ecologies

Bicultural Adaptation

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Emic Developmental Research Issues

Socialization Concerns in Ethnic Minority Families

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The Role of Family in Latino Adaptation

Perspectives on Ethnic Influences on Family Socialization

REMAINING ISSUES AND FUTURE TRENDS

Unit of Analysis

Parenting and Family Variation

Types of Developmental Change

Monitoring Secular Trends

Methodological and Design Issues

Contextual Issues

Locating Families in a Network of Socialization Influences

A Final Word

Overview

The document discusses the significance of family as a primary agent of socialization, emphasizing its diverse structures and cultural variations. It evaluates historical and contemporary theoretical approaches to understanding how families shape social behaviors and values in children.

Key Points

1Families play a crucial role in the socialization process by providing nurturance and support
2The chapter explores the diversity of family forms and their implications for socialization
3Historical and contemporary theoretical perspectives on family socialization are examined
4The importance of recognizing ethnic diversity in family socialization practices is highlighted
5An ecological perspective is used to understand the influences on family socialization.

Details

Authors: ROSS D. PARKE, RAYMOND BURIEL
Category: Social Sciences

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