Youth and Family: Intergenerational Tensions and Transfers

Abstract

This special issue comprises seven research papers discussing the intergenerational relations between youth and their families (or parents). The papers, which cover the onset of the teen years to young adulthood, present issues such as intergenerational transmission, conflict and interactions patterns between generations, and structural and cultural variations of youth decisions. all papers are based on empirical data of large sample sizes, and quantitative analysis is the common method used to delineate the intergenerational interaction pattern among youth families. Policy implications are also discussed, with relevant research findings to substantiate the stated proposals.This special issue is notable in at least three important aspects:1 Geographical RepresentationThe majority of papers in this issue focus not on North American youth studies, which are often overemphasized, but on European societies, including France, Germany, Italy, and England. The only paper here to focus on American teenagers compares black and white samples. The other two papers are from Taiwan, with one aiming at the intergenerational transmission of Chinese family values, and the other emphasizing contemporary family resolution patterns.2. Focus on Early Teen Years to Young AdulthoodSurvey samples constitute the major target of the analyses. Youth - in their early teens at ages 11 to 15 as well as their subsequent development at ages 16 to 19 - are the common concern of the first four papers. Young adults, especially in their 20s, face similar social expectation of leaving the parental home. This is especially significant in societies such as those of Italy, France, and Germany. Through their respective investigations, the authors came to believe this topic is to be placed in the context of autonomy versus dependency among young adults in their respective societies.3. Family as the Context for Intergenerational Transfers and TensionsThe family is the locus of study in this special issue. All seven papers examine the possible family transfer across generations. Particular attention is placed upon the transmission of parental values and teenagers' performance or decisions in relation to the family background and resources. The process and ideology behind the decision to leave parental homes are also studied, with a special emphasis on the potential influence of parental attitudes and of family-related effects.Highlights and significance of the individual research topics and Findings:Using interview data of 2,750 paired samples of 9th graders and one parent in northern Taiwan, Yi and her colleagues explore possible intergenerational value transmission from parents to children. Childrearing values are used to test the expected relationship. The results confirm that value transmission from a parent's generation to a child's generation is likely to occur in Taiwan. However, parental work experience, whose influence is strongly documented in Western studies, does not seem to be as important among Taiwanese samples. Instead, family relations as a contextual factor are found to be significant in the process of value transmission. Taking into account the cultural norms in the construction of childrearing scales, this study successfully shows the validity of four comparable dimensions. Future applications of the childrearing scale are suggested.Simons et al. investigate generational transmission by examining the possible effects of a parent's religion and parenting practices on a child's actual religious belief and deviant behaviors. An attempt is made to examine the intergenerational transmission of religiosity from parent to teenager. The results show that a parent's religiosity does have a direct effect on a child's religious belief but not on a child's deviant behavior. Instead, warm parenting that mediates through affiliation with deviant peers produces a significant effect on a teenager's behavior. …