Family Socialization among Mexican Americans

Abstract

This article introduces some theoretical presuppositions and a comprehensive analytic model to integrate available literature on family socialization of Mexican Americans and to guide future research. The theoretical postulates derive from a sociohistorical approach that describes human growth as a continuous process of socialization by which individuals become members of multiple social systems in the context of social relations. The analytic model incorporates multiple variables from different levels – the individual, the microsocial, and the macrosocial – stressing their interrelatedness and interconnectedness as reflected in linguistic communications. Literature dealing only with Mexican Americans is reviewed to demonstrate the usefulness of the model and to suggest guidelines for future research.