Maternal Socialization Goals in Hong Kong and U.S. Families Shaped by Adoption of Socialization Goals and Sources

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2022-12

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The Ohio State University

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Abstract

This study utilized an inter-disciplinary theoretical framework to focus on maternal report of socialization goal adoption shaped by different cultural environments. These environments are Hong Kong in China, and Columbus, Ohio in the United States. We developed a cultural inclusive quantitative coding manual to analyze the qualitative interviews we completed. The current study included 30 European American and 32 Hong Kong mothers of mean age of 35.67 years. They are primarily well- educated, with the majority of them holding a college degree and having a high annual household income. Socialization Goal Interview was utilized to assess mothers' socialization goals such as desirable/undesirable child characteristics. The goals coded from the interviews were self-maximization, self-regulation, lovingness, decency, and proper demeanor. We also coded for sources, also known as influences, of these goals as well. The interviews were coded based on an existing coding manual by Harwood et al. (1996) and we expanded the manual based on our cross-cultural interviews. This study aimed to contextualize how mothers from both sites view their socialization goals and their accompanying sources, along with what their adoption of these factors looked like in mothers' parental practices for their children's socioemotional development. Both U.S. and Hong Kong mothers emphasized self- maximization and their socialization goals were predominantly influenced by their immediate environment (microsystem), wherein, adoption coding of goals and sources for both sites revealed that they are more inclined to reject and change their goals and practices for their children. In summation, with respect to cultural models and contemporary social contexts, the maternal report of socialization goal adoption is influenced by different cultural environments, moreover, how and what the mothers plan to change was elucidated through developed adoption coding methodology for both sites.

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Cross Cultural, Chinese and Western cultures, Cultural models, Maternal adoption

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