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The Complexities of Parental Control Among Chinese American Mothers: The Role of Acculturation

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Parental Roles and Relationships in Immigrant Families

Part of the book series: Advances in Immigrant Family Research ((ADIMFAMRES))

Abstract

The meaning and function of parental control may vary across different cultures. Acculturation may motivate immigrant parents to modify their parenting in order to achieve effectiveness with their childrearing practices. Nevertheless, the associations between acculturation and parenting in Chinese American families are inconclusive. We explored 80 first-generation Chinese immigrant mothers’ conceptualizations of control in the United States using interviews. Findings revealed cultural priorities in these mothers’ rationale for and method of exerting control over their young children that reflected the psychological/emotional interdependence family pattern. We also examined the associations between mother-reports psychological and behavioral acculturation toward their heritage and the mainstream cultures and their reasons for and strategies of exerting control. Mothers’ psychological acculturation and behavioral acculturation toward their heritage versus mainstream culture were differentially associated with their reasons and practices. Suggestions for future research to build upon our understanding of parental control in Chinese American populations were discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Charissa S. L. Cheah & Kathy T. T. Vu

  2. Department of Early Childhood Education, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China

    Nan Zhou

  3. Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Christy Y. Y. Leung

Authors
  1. Charissa S. L. Cheah
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  2. Nan Zhou
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  3. Christy Y. Y. Leung
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  4. Kathy T. T. Vu
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Correspondence to Charissa S. L. Cheah .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada

    Susan S. Chuang

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

    Catherine L. Costigan

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Cheah, C.S.L., Zhou, N., Leung, C.Y.Y., Vu, K.T.T. (2018). The Complexities of Parental Control Among Chinese American Mothers: The Role of Acculturation. In: Chuang, S., Costigan, C. (eds) Parental Roles and Relationships in Immigrant Families. Advances in Immigrant Family Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71399-1_3

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