Mother, Father, and I: A Cross-Cultural Investigation of Adolescents’ Intergenerational Narratives and Well-Being

Abstract

Cultural differences in autobiographical memories are linked to differences in self-understanding and well-being. This study investigated how vicarious memories of family events, expressed in intergenerational narratives, are also important for well-being. New Zealand adolescents (N = 263) from three cultural groups (Chinese, Māori, and European; 12–21 years) told narratives about their mothers’ and fathers’ childhood. Narratives were coded for event valence, topic, thematic coherence, subjective perspective, relationships, and identity connections. Regardless of culture and age, adolescents’ self-esteem was uniquely related to using subjective perspective terms in mothers’ stories, and to telling thematically coherent fathers’ stories, controlling for personality traits and personal narratives. However, the links to well-being were not always positive for New Zealand Māori and European adolescents, possibly due to the unique cultural-historical context in which these narratives were situated. Further research using both quantitative and qualitative methods could shed light on the delicate relationship between intergenerational narratives and adolescent development.