The role of parent/child gender and child age in autonomy granting in Latino/Hispanic origin families
Abstract
Autonomy granting has been found to be a parenting practice that is salient to children and adolescents (Erikson 1968, as cited in Roche, Caughy, Schuster, Bogart, Dittus, & Franzini, 2013). The promotion of autonomy in Western cultures, particularly in the United States has been widely examined. However, considering the diverse population in the United States, it is important to assess the promotion of autonomy in Americans from different cultures. Currently, Hispanics/Latinos are the largest ethnic group in the United States (Cabrera & Bradley, 2012). Traditionally, Hispanics/Latinos come from collectivist cultures that emphasize parental authority and family obligation (Fuligni & Yoshikawa, 2003). Prior research has shown that autonomy is promoted less often in these families. Literature has shown that parent gender, child gender, and child age all affect the promotion of autonomy in Hispanic/Latino families (Bamaca-Colber, Gayles, & Lara, 2011; Love & Buriel, 2007; Perez-Brena, Updegraff, & Umaña-Taylor, 2012). The present study looked at the role and interaction between parent gender, child gender, and child age and autonomy granting in Hispanic/Latino families. Using a three way analysis of variance and a single sample t-test, results indicated no main effect or significant interactions based on the parent's gender, child's gender, or child's age. In contrast, parents scored significantly lower than the mean, as well as significantly less than the midpoint score, on the measure of autonomy. This evidence supports the idea that Hispanic/Latino parents deemphasize autonomy in youth and adolescents.
Subject Area
Social psychology|Latin American Studies|Individual & family studies|Gender studies|Hispanic American studies
Recommended Citation
Makeda B Watson,
"The role of parent/child gender and child age in autonomy granting in Latino/Hispanic origin families"
(2014).
ETD Collection for Tennessee State University.
Paper AAI1557719.
https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI1557719